Heart of the Unknown Alpha

by Scott, Rae

  “Death? You mean like they would kill you for it?”

  “No, I mean death like they would kill us both for it.” Darian’s shoulders sagged as he felt the weight of his words. Telling a human of their existence WAS a death sentence but with Aryana being his Pure Mate he wasn’t going to let it stop him. Nothing was going to stop him from being her husband. Not even his father or the Supreme Alpha would stop him.

  Aryana panicked. He had come to kill her! Oh God he had actually come to kill her for what she had witnessed! She glanced back and forth from Darian’s bent head to the stairs. Trying to move so he wouldn’t notice she slowly inched towards the stairs.

  Darian raised his head just in time to see Aryana, face pale as a ghost make a mad dash for the stairs. He leaped off the sofa catching her around the shins and knocking her to the floor.

  Aryana started fighting like a wild cat trying to get away from him. He took a swipe of her nails to the face, a heel to the shin and a knee to the stomach. The whole time the smell of pure fear surrounded them.

  He fought his way up her legs until he could catch her hands and hold them prisoner then he laid his entire bodyweight on top of her trying to stop her from causing any permanent damage. He managed to flip her over on her back and keep her hands trapped above her head to prevent another attack. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

  “I am NOT letting you kill me! Get off me! You rotten bastard! Coming in here just to kill me!!!”

  “ARYANA STOP! “ Darian smacked her wrists into the hardwood floor for emphasis. “I did not come here to kill you. I could NEVER hurt you. My wolf would never allow it to happen. I can never hurt you nor could I ever allow someone else to hurt you either. My wolf would never allow ANYTHING to happen to you by my hand or someone else’s.”

  Aryana was still trying to twist out from under him since he had her hips pinned with his. “Then why and the hell are you here? If you’re not going to kill me then what the hell do you want?”

  Darian stared at her for a hard moment before covering her mouth with his. Forcefully at first then gentler. Everything he felt for her he flooded into that kiss. He felt her still and then slowly soften beneath him. After a few long moments he released her wrists and cradled each side of her head with his forearms. After a long while he lifted away from her a few inch and answered her. “Because you are my Pure Mate. You’re the only one who was ever meant to be with me. You are the true other half of my soul. You are the only one who could calm my wolf and make sense in a world of chaos for me. I could never hurt you, my wolf could never hurt you because the day you saved me is the day I found the only person I will ever give my heart to, the only person I could ever love enough to make my eternal mate.”

  Aryana stared up at him dumbfounded by what he had just said.. It was confusing and beautiful and made absolutely no sense. “What are you talking about? I am totally confused. You mean you aren’t going to kill me?”

  Darian dipped his head down and nuzzled her ear chuckling. When he raised back up over her he was smiling and his eyes held amusement. “I tend to forget that your human. Come. You didn’t open all your gifts or you would know what I mean.”

  Darian stood up then pulled Aryana to her feet. She watched him warily as he led her to the sofa. He rummaged through the gifts she had piled up near the fireplace until he found what he was looking for. He plucked the dark Royal blue bag from the pile and pulled out one of the boxes. He came back to the sofa and sat down beside her. He handed the small box to her and waited.

  Aryana still wasn’t fully trusting him as she eyed the box. Cautiously she opened the lid and let out a gasp. Nestled in the velvet lining was the most beautiful necklace she had ever seen. From a slender silver chain hung a crescent moon. Inside the crescent moon balanced between the points, framed in silver were two gemstones each forming half of a heart. One gemstone was a brilliant green emerald the other was a stunning blue topaz. Aryana looked at him the wonder and confusion clear in her eyes.

  “You are the other half of my heart and soul. You are my Pure Mate Aryana. I can’t live my life without you in it by my side.”

  “What do you mean Pure Mate? That doesn’t make any sense.” Aryana truly was confused by that.. What was a Pure Mate anyway? And how did he know she was his?

  “A Pure Mate is a complete souls match. For a wolf to find their Pure Mate means they have found the other half of themselves. Once a wolf finds their Pure Mate they cannot be with anyone else. That’s it for them. I believe humans call it their soul mate. I understand you aren’t a wolf and that you may not choose to be with me. Even if we ever do go our separate ways there will be no one else for me. I will always belong to you and nobody else.”

  Aryana sat there and stared at the necklace in her hands trying to decipher what it meant. It was definitely one of a kind and it had cost a great deal. “how do you know I am your Pure Mate? What if you only think I am and then your real Pure Mate comes along?”

  “What happened that night with you ONLY happens when a wolf has found his Pure Mate. It’s how we know. When a wolf finds his Pure Mate the wolf and man become unbalanced the first time there is intimacy between them. Luckily it only happens once and there is a way to put them back in balance even if it does render the wolf weak for a while.” Darian wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his chest as he talked. He rested his cheek on top of her head and just enjoyed the feel of his arms around her.

  “So you and your wolf are balanced now?” Aryana didn’t know why but for some reason she was ok with all of this. Still a bit doubting but accepting it and mostly ok with it. Which she was sure she should find odd or concerning but didn’t.

  “Yes we are. Though I am basically going to be as weak as a human for a while. Apparently we were pretty out of balance.” Darian dropped a kiss to the top of her head just taking in the moment of having her there with him.

  “Wait a minute.” Aryana suddenly sat up pulling away from him. “You said a human knowing about you was a death sentence… Does that mean They are going to come and kill me? And you?”

  Darian chuckled and pulled her back into him. “No they aren’t. They wouldn’t dare. My father is Beta to the Supreme Alpha also you are under the protection of Lluna, the pack guardian. If any wolf dared to harm you it would be disastrous for the entire packs existence.”

  Aryana settled back down against his chest and took in everything she had just learned. It was disconcerting to find out the man she had fallen in love with was a werewolf. LOVE? When had she fallen in love with Darian? Thinking back she guessed it was right after she had found him on the road. She mulled over this bit of information and considered her choices. She could walk away, never see Darian again. She could move on and find someone else but he never would. He would spend the rest of his life alone. Just the thought of that broke her heart and made her want to cry. She had the option. She could stay with him, make it work and see what happened. It would require faith and trust in him. She wasn’t sure she had it in her but she was willing to try.

  “But if you’re going to turn into that creature every time we try to be together then is there a point in being together? I mean how is that supposed to work anyway?” She crammed her neck up to look at him.

  “That will never happen again. It only happens once. It’s how a wolf knows it’s found its true mate. Unfortunately nobody knew about it.” He smiled thinking of that night in amusement. His Pure Mate was a fighter that was for sure. She also possessed one hell of a kick. Aryana’s voice drew him back to the present.

  “What do you mean nobody knew about it? You mean no wolf has EVER found their pure Mate before?” Aryana was puzzled. How could wolves have existed this long if they had never found their Pure Mates to well… mate with.

  “No wolf has found their Pure Mate in several thousands of years. So the notion of a Pure Mate became something of a legend. Oh wolves have mated but those mating’s were never true or as strong as they should have been.
Pure Mates will fight to the death to protect each other and their pups. Nothing can separate them, not even death. Without that bond one wolf will not necessarily fight for its mates life. While wolves do mate for life an untrue match CAN be broken by another wolf challenging for the right to another wolfs mate.” Darian watch Aryana closely trying to judge her reaction. He knew he had to tell her the rest and there was no time like the present.

  “Listen darling, things with us will not be easy. I told you my father is Beta to the Supreme Alpha.” He watched her nod her head before continuing. “The Supreme Alpha rules over all other wolves, The role of Supreme Alpha is passed down from first born to first born in the family line.”

  “So what does that have to do with us? Does that mean you’re going to end up being Beta to the next Supreme Alpha?” Aryana was puzzled. What did this have to do with them? It wasn’t like he was going to be Supreme Alpha or anything.

  Darian took a deep breath, it was now or never to tell her the other part of his life he had kept hidden. “The current Supreme Alpha has no children. He never mated. He has refused to. Since I am the only son and only child of the Beta there is an expectation for me to accept becoming heir to the Supreme Alpha when his time comes. I have not accepted yet. In fact I would rather not but it would be best for the pack if I did. If you accept me as your Pure Mate and you agree to become my wife it means you would have to move to the Alpha House with me and help me rule over the pack. It would also mean leaving everyone in your human life behind. I am not sure how it would go over with you being human but I am willing to try if you are. No matter what happens you will ALWAYS be my priority and I will ALWAYS keep you safe.”

  Aryana sat there dumbfounded. She really didn’t know what to think. It was a lot to take in and it was very overwhelming. Darian being a werewolf, saying she was his Pure Mate. Their being together being a death sentence and him going to be the heir to the werewolf kingdom…to be honest if she hadn’t lived through the other night she wouldn’t be believing ANY of it! I mean who in their right mind would?!?! She couldn’t even find words to express what was going through her head at the moment.

  Darian saw her confusion. He completely understood. He slipped the necklace from its box and fastened it around her neck. “This will remind you of me when I can’t be here. I am going to go so you have some space and time to think. Being with me won’t be easy, it will mean leaving EVERYTHING behind you and coming into my world. It will mean standing by my side as I accept becoming heir to the Supreme Alpha and standing beside any decisions and punishments I might have to dole out according to our laws. Take your time, think about it. I won’t push you. It’s a big choice and I want you to be sure.”

  Darian gently kissed her on the forehead, lingering just long enough to inhale the scent that was uniquely Aryana before he got up and left as fast as his weakened body could.

  Aryana sat on her sofa her mind a whirlwind or thought and emotions. It wasn’t until the little wolf cub started whining and whimpering. She automatically got up and went to the little guy. She mixed up some food and fed him and gave him a small bowl of water. She took him into the back yard and let him explore a bit. When he let out a cute sleepy yawn she picked him back up and carried him inside and up to the bed with her. That night the little grey and black ball of fluff lay curled up next to his new mommy sleeping.

  Darian was on his way home his thoughts focused on Aryana and the future he saw for them together as a couple when he heard a gunshot followed by the loud popping of one of his tires. The vehicle swerved and tilted across the road. He struggled to control the vehicle and keep it steady and failed. The SUV hit the ditch on the left side of the road and flipped over onto the driver’s side.

  Dazed Darian shook his head trying to clear it. He smelled blood. Raising his hand he touched his left temple and felt a warm stickiness. Unfastening his seatbelt he tried to piece together what had happened. Climbed out of the vehicle through the passengers door landing on his feet beside the roof of the vehicle. Looking around he tried to figure out where the shots had come from. As his eyes scanned the wooded area he slipped his cell from the pocket of his jeans and tapped a few buttons without looking.

  “Darian, where are you?” The irritated voice of his father had him lifting a corner of his mouth.

  “I am about fifteen miles from the pack village. I’ve been shot at.”

  On the other end of the line Samuel stiffened and went deathly still. This was disastrous news. “I am sending scout team and two vehicles. Stay out of sight.” He clicked off and dialed another number. “Brad, two transport and full team with medical. Fifteen miles from the village. Shots fired.”

  Samuel hung up and sat down . He steepled his fingers in front of him and stared hard at his office door not seeing it. The entire situation was becoming more and more complicated and he wasn’t sure he liked it.

  The Supreme Alpha had left the night before.. Reanult had never kept his trips a secret from him. Always giving him a full itinerary of where he would be staying, the purpose of the trip and how to reach him. This time all he had left was a phone number to an untraceable cell and instructions to call only under extreme circumstances. Add that to the fact that lately he hadn’t brought up Darian accepting becoming his heir and it unsettled something in his stomach.

  Now to make things worse his only child had found a Pure Mate in a human and someone was shooting at him. The best he could hope for is that the human female rejected his son and they caught whoever was after Damian. Then maybe Darian would finally accept becoming heir to the Supreme Alpha. He wouldn’t like it but he would be forced to take a pack female and reproduce with her. It went against everything the pack stood for when it came to mating but a human had no place in their world. They were too weak, too fragile. They would get hurt too easily and killed even quicker. Better she rejected his son then her get pulled into their world and killed. Darian would have a better time accepting her loss if she was alive then if she died.

  Over the next several days Aryana and Darian spoke on the phone often, they even had a few video chats. He always asked about the puppy when they talked and Aryana found herself not wanting to be away from him. He had said something about having an accident on his way home and that he had to get his car replaced before he could come back to see her. Aryana didn’t know how she knew it but she KNEW there was something he wasn’t telling her. He also never pressed her about making a decision either, staying true to his word. Honestly, she missed him like crazy and had decided to distract herself to stop from feeling so lonely.

  Aryana kept busy with the pup, calling him Renie, short for Reanult one of her favorite characters from a book. She worked her job and fed and took the pup out. She had more work from Stephen and she couldn’t figure out why he was having her edit so many photos since his shots needed barely any work.

  In fact most of Stephen’s work was the same. Pictures of either a certain male or female sometimes with a wolf, sometimes close ups of wolves. What made each picture different was the shadows and colorings of the animals. Granted some of the pictures of the animals were a bit odd. Like why take a picture of a wolfs butt?? The wolf had pointed its hind end directly at the camera with its tail flopped off to one side. There were a couple of pictures like that. They were kinda weird but if it’s what he wanted to take pictures of then so be it.

  Some of the pictures were a bit odder then that and a lot weirder.. like the one of the naked girl laying on her back in the sun the wolf laying beside her with its head on the girls thigh nose pointed towards her crotch. Very odd. At least he had good taste in models though she supposed.

  On Darian’s end of things he was going stir crazy. He hadn’t been hurt in the crash or shooting but not being able to see Aryana was driving him nuts. Granted the video calls helped but barely. He was desperate to see her, touch her, hold her. He knew he should have told her the truth about what happened but he didn’t want to scare her off again.

  H
e paced the great hall of Alpha House. Half the time cursing himself, the other half plotting, thinking, trying to understand. Why was Stephen trying to kill him? He had done nothing to the man. It just didn’t make sense. Nobody in the village had known who he was so he hadn’t been a threat to anyone. So WHAT was the reason? And how was he going to keep Aryana safe without claiming the offer of heir to the Supreme Alpha? It just didn’t seem like there were any answers and the ones he did have weren’t very clear at all. How the hell was he going to get out of this and keep Aryana at his side once he got her back there?

  It was two weeks before Darian got another vehicle. The extra time was taken because this vehicle had been specially outfitted per his father’s insistence. Darian had caved when given the choice of either round the clock armed guard never more than 2 feet away or the armored vehicle. There was no way in hell he wanted an armed guard around when what he wanted most was alone time with Aryana. Hell he didn’t want anybody that close when he had to take a piss either for that matter. Soon as he had gotten the keys he headed to Aryana’s house hoping and praying she was home.

  Chapter 19 A Challenge issued.

  Aryana had just finished taking the pup outside to go potty and had settled him back inside his pen area when there was a knock on her front door. Not expecting anyone she opened the door to find Stephen on her doorstep with a large bouquet of flowers. She blinked not sure she wasn’t seeing things. She had never invited the man to her home and she wasn’t sure how he had found it. “Stephen, I am surprised to see your here. What’s going on?”

  “Aryana, Hi.” He fidgeted on the doorstep in front of her nervously “I hope you don’t mind me just showing up but I was wanting to talk to you and I kinda didn’t want to do it in the middle of a coffee shop.”