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Ryan was there, his wolf protecting her as he helped bolster her so that she could regain her balance.
“You ok?”His question was clear, evidence that the connection between them grew stronger every time they used it. His tone was gentle. It made her want to weep.
Human emotion overwhelmed her wolf, and the form of the lycan slipped from her mind. One moment she was the wolf and the next she held her human form.
Kelly took off into the thick trees, unable to stand being close to Ryan. She felt the echo of his confusion in her mind. She slammed the door to that connection. It reverberated between them.
“Kelly, damn it!” His tone as he shouted was gruff. The sound of his footfalls though muted by the ground assured her that he chased her down in his human form.
It didn’t matter. He could outpace her in either form and she couldn’t hide from him. He was her alpha, his wolf was strong and he would be able to sniff her out no matter where she tried to run.
Knowing that she would be defeated didn’t slow her down though. She maintained the punishing pace she’d set until a sharp stabbing pain in her side stopped her in her tracks. She clutched at the spot where the arrow had torn through her. It felt like someone had poured acid on her.
Ryan quickly caught up to her. His touch was tender, though she could feel the violence in him. It was so strong that he shook with it.
“I would never hurt you.” He responded to the thought, making her realize that the door she’d closed had cracked back open. They were mates, their minds and hearts attuned to each other like magnets. They were supposed to be linked, it was only a supreme effort that kept them apart.
Her shoulders slumped and the tears that she’d tried to hold at bay fell free. Ryan wrapped his arms around her.
“You’re breaking my heart.”
Kelly laid her head on his shoulder, aligning their bodies as he stroked through her hair. The steady beat of his heart was comforting but it made her sad knowing how much time they had lost.
“Talk to me, baby.”
RYAN COAXED WHILE continuing to run his fingers through her hair. Evey now and then the callous on his palm would snag the soft strands, providing a stark reminder of their differences. She was soft and delicate and triggered every protective instinct that he had.
He didn’t like the idea of having her around all of the other pack leaders. Though they had struck a tentative peace, he didn’t trust the others. It could have been his paranoia, but he couldn’t shake the sense of impending danger, but they needed answers to the fertility issues that were spreading through each of the nine packs. Though it seemed, at least for the moment, that the progression was to varying degrees in each pack.
That alone was enough to suggest that whatever was going on wasn’t natural. Combined with Kelly’s research and speculations he knew that they needed the help of the other packs. He just didn’t want them anywhere near her while he tried to convince them to provide that help.
“You really didn’t know, did you?” Her question brought him out of his musings and he refocused on her.
“Know what?” The wind shifted. Ryan snuggled her more tightly against him worried about the temperature. He was warm and didn’t feel the cool air but with both of them standing naked in the woods he didn’t want to take a chance that Kelly would become ill.
“You didn’t realize we were mates. You didn’t push me away on purpose.” Her sad tone made him hold her tighter.
“No, I didn’t.” He pulled back so that he could look her in the eye. He hid nothing from her, his mental shielding down so that she could see his memory of that day. His worries about his father, his insecurity about taking over the rulership of the pack, and his frustration with her cousin. She’d been a momentary blip on his radar and he’d felt shame that he would even consider an attraction to her at that age.
He’d rejected the idea so thoroughly that he hadn’t let himself consider it when she’d reached a more appropriate age. He laid everything at her feet out in the open so that she could process it. Even the fragile beginnings of the love he was developing for her.
Ryan felt the moment she touched on that revelation. He sensed her fear, then cautious hope that he might love her. He realized then that she’d let him back into her mind, to share her thoughts and memories.
He was bombarded by her pain and confusion at his supposed rejection. Her wolf had known instantly that they were mates, even if Kelly hadn’t realized what it meant at the time. It had triggered a juvenile crush and when he’d ignored her, her bitterness had grown.
“I don’t know how you survived this long.” The words were breathed in her hair. “I would have torn someone apart if they tried to lay claim to you.” He kissed her temple before encouraging her to walk back to their discarded clothing. “Hell, I almost did. When you showed the slightest acceptance of Clay I wanted to rip into him. Even now I hate that he’s still in my territory.”
When they reached the pile of clothing, Ryan carefully helped her dress before pulling on his clothing. Once they were both dressed, he pulled her hand to his mouth pressing a kiss to her open palm. Before curling his hand around hers.
They walked hand in hand back to town, and he was pleased when she didn’t question him when he bypassed her house in favor of his.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The clearing where they normally gathered was filled with tables so that the pack could dine together. There was a head table set up, much like you would expect to see at a wedding. This was where Ryan sat with Byron.
Since they weren’t officially bonded yet there was no chair next to him where his mate would sit and while she understood the gesture and the optics, his choice to stand alone rather than with her at his side still stung.
The table also housed the Alphas of the eight other packs. Seating them had been a challenge. Kelly had watched him agonize over who should sit where, before finally helping him place them in order of their geographical region. It seemed the safest option since none of them could deny their proximity to the person next to them and usually, the packs had formed a tentative alliance with their closest neighbors. The only difference was that as Host, Ryan took the center seat. Julian from the Yellow Claw Pack was on his right, next to him was Darius from the Sourwind Pack, followed by Martin from the Blood Moon Pack. The final seat on the right side was occupied by Westin from The River Run Pack. The left side was comprised of Maverick from the Rogue Claw Pack, next to him was Gallen from The Night Mist Pack, Dembe from The Dark Spire Pack, and the final seat on the left was held by Selene from the Rolling Hills Pack. She was the only female alpha and it was rumored she ruled with an iron fist and ruthless aggression to remain in leadership.
