Page 51 of Claiming Her Alpha

“We will attend,” Alpha Vallerian announced. His eyes darkened and a sinister grin curled his lip as he looked at Ryker.

Though Gabriel seemed surprised, he nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”

“I want a list of ten warriors to accompany us. You included.”

Ryker bowed his head. “Yes, Alpha,”

In less than three months, he would see her again and Ryker wasn’t sure how to react. After months of getting used to her not being with him, seeing her again would rip him apart. Maybe Alpha Vallerian wanted him to break. Maybe he’d hoped that the warriors would give Ryker a harder time so he would quit.

“Luna Sophia will come with us, and I want her surrounded by our own at all times.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

To Gabriel he said, “You’ll come too.”

Gabriel nodded.

Ryker and Gabriel both turned and left when they felt their alpha’s push. Ryker’s mind was wild, his head spinning and unable to sort out his emotions and feelings. He wanted to see her again. He was ecstatic for the chance to lay eyes on her just one more time, but it would shatter him to pieces.

“She had to invite us.” Gabriel’s worrisome voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “If she doesn’t want to start feuds from the beginning, she has to invite all the surrounding packs. I don’t think she knew he would use that as a punishment.”

Suddenly, a thought pushed past all of his wild emotions. If he was on her territory, he could just go rogue; he could beg her to take him back. If Alpha Vallerian wanted to kill him, he would start a feud, maybe even a war.

“Ryker!”

Ryker’s eyes shot to Gabriel, taking in his stone cold face.

“Whatever you’re plotting right now, bury it deep down and never think of it again.”

Ryker tried to feign innocence, but Gabriel knew him far too well.

“It’s not worth it.”

It was, but he couldn’t say that out loud. She was worth everything, but he had to keep that a secret and he hated it every moment of the day.

“People will get hurt if you don’t behave. If you step a single toe out of line, people might get killed. She might even die.”

Of course he didn’t want that. He would never want anything to happen to her. He loved her far too much and she loved her pack and family far too much to let anything happen to them. If he truly loved her, he’d never let her go through that.

“Who will you take to the Ceremony?”

Ryker needed a moment to clear his foggy mind. He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. “I don’t know yet. I need to take the strongest but leave the pack protected.”

“Make a list. I’ll look over it.”

Gabriel turned to walk away, but Ryker grabbed his arm and forced him to stop. “I… This is going to break me.”

Gabriel’s face softened. “Think of her. Even if it breaks you, you need to be strong for her. She needs you to hold it together even if it’s just for the time she lays eyes on you. She is luna now and she can’t afford to see you like this. If she sees your pain, she will suffer too. I know this is not what you want to hear but even with her incredible strength, if you show weakness, so will she and that will be far worse on her end. She needs you to be successful, even if it’s not how you hoped it would be.”

Gabriel’s words stabbed him in the heart like a sword fit to kill. The truth was always hard to hear, but right now it felt as if it was carving his heart out.

Feeling the threat of tears burning his eyes, he spun on his heel and stormed into the woods. It was more of a run, but he had to get away–he couldn’t let Gabriel see him cry. Before Kendra, he would have shifted and used his wolf as a distraction. But he could no longer trust him–especially not in moments like this. He, just like Ryker, was grieving their loss, yet again.

Ryker walked farther into the woods, making sure to head north. If he headed south, he was afraid he would be pulled towards Kendra. He walked until his legs were numb and his knees threatened to buckle. With the moon shining down on him, he looked up to Isis. He couldn’t put his pain into words. He just looked up at the silver light, silently begging Her to stop his pain and suffering.

Ryker’s mind was dark, and slowly that darkness faded both from his thoughts and his senses. With each passing moment the light returned more and more. Soon, he could think clearer again and soon enough he realized that he must have passed out.

“Fucking weak.”

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