Chapter 4
RYAN
While I was doing my things in the office, I finally made my way towards the kitchen. I ran out and almost tripped over Cynthia "Damn, what are you doing here?" I asked her, looking at her in confusion. "I brought Catherine some food to the room," she said. "Why the room?", I asked again, "I want her to meet the people of the pack, why didn't you bring her to the dining room?" I looked around, not a soul but the two of us were there.
"Well she seems so sad and withdrawn, I thought in the situation she's in right now maybe she needs rest. Especially since she doesn't even want to see me." Cynthia shrugged her shoulders. "Listen, I have to get going, call me if you need anything." she winked at me and was already walking down the hallway.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. A depressed she-wolf could yet be my undoing.
I made my way to Catherine's house and knocked on the door. Nothing came from her. Hmm, I wonder if she is even still in her room? She had to be in there, Cynthia just walked out.
I opened the door and went into the room. I looked around her bedroom, which was not exactly small and luxuriously furnished.
She was not here. I looked at the table, on which there was still a tray. She had not eaten anything. How will she regain her strength if she doesn't eat? She was a rack of skin and bones.
The door to the bathroom opened and I heard sobbing. Was she crying?
'Damn it again go to her, she's not well and you're standing there like an idiot!' Onyx complained. For once I listened to him and walked closer to the door.
I watched her silently.
"I-I am anything but beautiful Rose ..." she spoke to her she-wolf and burst into tears. She was on her knees and crying desperately.
I had to swallow hard and it tore my heart to see her like this. Rose ... this had to be her wolf.
'If you don't go in there now, I'll go in there!'
Suddenly Onyx ran over me and took command of my body. My eyes turned black and he let out a growl.
I walked up to her and picked her up off the ground. She was visibly startled. "N-no, let go of me! Please don't hurt me!" She tried to get out of my arms, but I held her tight. Her eyes were red from crying. I took her chin in my hand and forced her to look me in the eye. "No one is going to hurt you anymore, do you understand me? The one who touches you will die by my hand." Onyx let out another growl, which probably scared her more than calmed her down.
'Onyx damn it again give me back my body!" I yelled at him.
'If you can't take care of her, I will, I told you that before,' he gaped at me and pulled Catherine into a hug.
She sobbed and buried her face in my chest. I managed to regain control of Onyx and stood there with Catherine in my arms. I looked down at her, I could hear her heartbeat, which was racing. I put my hand to her head and pressed her closer to me.
My inner asshole rolled its eyes as Onyx hissed at it. I had resigned myself to the fact, after 29 years, that I would not find a mate, even my pack was stressing me to go find her, but that she would run into my arms, I really didn't expect that. My mind had trouble accepting that. I visited many packs hoping to run into her somewhere, but it never happened.
"You are beautiful Catherine, the souls that did this to you are ugly," I murmured in her ear and sighed. That she was so distraught, I could understand. She had been taken from her environment and God knows what had happened to her. I looked down at her shoulders, which were covered with scars.
I didn't mind her scars, what bothered me was seeing her suffer.
After a while she calmed down.
I stroked her arm up and down. The fact that she was half naked bothered, didn't bother me. As wolves, we were used to seeing naked people after their transformation. Catherine, on the other hand, was ashamed of her body.
"You know, don't you?" she whispered softly, looking up at me.
I nodded. Yes, I knew it very well.
"You wonder why I didn't call you on it?", I asked her, continuing to stroke her shoulder.
"Well, the truth is, I had given up hope on a mate after years of searching. My wolf already recognized you as his mate when we were in that shithole.
For me it was too much to digest and I also wanted to give you some space to recover. What we experienced in that prison, it can't be described. I don't want to push you into anything Catherine, even if my wolf wants you to die." I honestly admitted.
"Y-You're rejecting me?" she asked, unsure, looking at me with a horrified expression.
I immediately shook my head "No, no! I didn't mean it that way, of course. I just don't want us to rush into anything. That's all." I finally said. To refuse her would mean going insane.
She nodded hesitantly and seemed clearly disappointed.
'Great you dork, you pulled that off beautifully!' Onyx was disappointed as well. His love for Catherine was indescribable. I could feel the bond, but it was nothing compared to when I would mark her.
Catherine pulled away from me, took a bathrobe that was hanging by the door and put it on. She stood by the door, holding the handle as if her life depended on it.
She probably gestured for me to come in, but she did not dare say the words. Her gaze pierced the floor. What was this weird thing she had? Staring at the floor. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask her about it.
Are you stupid? Does the Moon Goddess know how long she's been enslaved and you really want to ask her something like that?' Onyx replied to my thoughts.
Damn, the dog was right. There were no slaves in my pack. Everyone was valued. I ran a hand through my hair and finally got moving. 'Get ready, we're going out of here for a bit later' I said to her still, closing the door behind me.
'You did great' Onyx sighed and retreated back to his corner.
Another one who liked me less.
I was really frustrated and forgetting the essentials.
Tristan and Michael had organized everything for tonight. 7 Alphas would gather to put an end to Arnor.
'Do you want me to summon the alpha from the Crescent pack too?" asked Michael over thought communication. 'Yes, make sure all our men are armed, just in case,' I said to him and stomped off to my room.
I wanted to set my sights on the Crescent pack and hear what he had to say.
I went to my closet and took out a black sweater and a pair of jeans, which I put on. After putting on my Louboutin sneakers, I grabbed my biker leather jacket and headed to the living room. I met Tristan and his companion Maya there. The two of them were a poster child of a couple and they would probably end up dying together on the same day.
Between you and me, I've always been envious of their relationship.
'Your ego is getting in the way you idiot.' Onyx commented on my thoughts and I rolled my eyes.
Tristan finally looked at me "Looks like Onyx is giving you hell in a way, otherwise he's not like that is he?" he asked me, raising his eyebrows.
"Does it have something to do with the girl?" He finally asked, putting 1+1 together.
A grin showed on his face and I punched him in the shoulder "Shut up." Maya which started to giggle came towards us. "Is Mr. Alpha in love?" she teased me and I shook my head. I didn't even know what I wanted myself.
"You do know there's nothing you can do about it, Ryan, right?", Maya told me. "By the full moon at the latest, you're going to go crazy and feel the need to want every inch of her." Tristan said and put his arm around Maya.
I rolled my eyes "You're just trying to talk yourselves into screwing each other," I said and plopped down on the sofa.
"Oh yeah, you think those are just stories? Well wait and see, it'll be your turn in a week." Maya laughed at me. That's right, in a week there was a full moon.
I already believed that, however, I was convinced that I could pull myself together.
'Get that thought out of your head, I'm going to give you hell on earth' Onyx said, grunting in satisfaction.
"Maya, tonight is the extraordinary meeting. I'd appreciate it if you could take care of Catherine, she's not really warming up to Cynthia' I said to her and looked at her.
She nodded "I can tell her what a bad boy you are then." she grinned and played with her hair.
I shrugged "Have I ever been good?" I glanced at Tristan who snorted. "Catherine will be happy to hear that." Maya smiled at me. "Joking aside, I'll take care of her like she's my sister."
I smiled at her in satisfaction. "It's best you stay here in the house and please make sure you don't go into the lounge. There will be a buffet for dinner afterwards, I don't want her to run into the Alpha from the Crescent. I don't want her to have a heart attack." I said.
"T-The Alpha of the Crescent pack?" Sounded a soft voice behind us. I turned my head and looked at Catherine, who was standing there looking at me.
She apparently came right down because I told her to get ready.
Panic was writ large in her eyes. "Y-you're going to send me back?" she asked, unsure. Tristan and Maya looked at us silently, watching Catherine.
I shook my head and got up from the sofa. "You're not going anywhere Catherine. You're going to stay here with me." I looked at her seriously.
"You don't know what you're getting into with the Crescent..." she says, glaring at Tristan and Maya. She walks back out of the room. Maya glares at me 'Go and sort it out, or she'll really think you want to give her back to her pack.' she urged me.
How long had she been listening to us? She was so silent we didn't even realize she was standing behind us.
I got up and ran after Catherine. When I managed to catch up with her, I gently took her hand and turned her to face me. "Let go of me please Alpha..." she said trying to pull her hand away.
I shook my head "Ryan and I will not let go of you. You're going to come with me now." i said and pulled her behind me.
I walked with her to the garage and grabbed the car keys to my Audi R8 and opened the door for her. She looked at me for a moment and didn't move "Come on get in." I demanded and waited for her to get in. Finally she got in. I also got into the driver's seat and started driving towards town.
"Listen. I want to watch the Crescent pack. If they gave you to Arnor, there must be more to it than that. No alpha in this world would willingly give up their members. I need to find out what's behind this. I'll make sure they don't see you. Maya will protect you in time," I said to her again, trying to convince her of my plan.
She shook her head "M-do what you think is right." She replied coldly and looked out the window.
I wanted to know too much what was going on in her head, for this we had to take her officially for the first time with a blood oath.