EPISODE THIRTY SIX
THEME: Alpha Riley
DARK WOOD PACKUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g
(Avery’s Point of View)
Alpha Riley clasped his hands together. “She died. My mate drowned herself in the same body of water where I found you.” He said.
He was coming around and it made me happy that he was telling me things about himself. “She couldn’t swim?” I asked.
“Leah, that’s her name. She didn’t train her wolf to stay in water so she couldn’t swim.” Alpha Riley replied.
A pitiful look crossed my face. “But why did she drown herself?” I requested.
Alpha Riley’s head dropped down as he clenched his fists. “She cheated.” He said finally after waiting for a while.
“Oh.” I mouthed.
“I found out that she was cheating on me with my beta and she was also carrying his child.” He looked straight into my eyes.
“I thought the child was mine. The happiness I felt finding out that I would be a father but then I realized that the child isn’t mine.” Alpha Riley held the edge of the island and looked at me for a long time.
“I am-”
Alpha Riley stood up quickly cutting off my intended words. “No, don’t say anything. I shouldn’t be telling you this.” He turned away and walked out of the kitchen.
I furrowed my eyebrows. What just happened? Okay, I get the story that his mate cheated on him with the beta of this pack. That’s terrible. And to even find out that the child he assumed to be for him turned out to be the beta’s child. Why did he stop talking? Is it a top secret in this pack? I pondered.
I didn’t want the conversation to come to an end but who am I to say otherwise? I guess he forgot that he doesn’t want me to walk. What should I do? Go back to the bedroom myself or wait for him to come pick me up again? That might take sometime so I picked the former option.
I tried to stand up and head to the bedroom but a blur image of a man flashed my mind causing me to wince in pain. The moment I tried to push further, my knees gave out. I let out a whimper as I reached for the table for support as I was almost falling but a strong arms grabbed my waist to steady me. Dizziness had made me miss my target and if I wasn’t caught by the strong arms I would have fallen off and hit my head hard on the ground.
“I told you to take things easy! Don’t you listen to simple instructions!” Alpha Riley snapped at me in a raised tone.
“I.. I..” My voice trailed off.
Alpha Riley’s breathe fanned my skin. “You should.. take things easy.” He whispered.
“You left.. I didn’t know what to do.” I was feeling so weak.
“I am sorry…” I heard him apologize into my ears.
What? Did he just apologize to me?
Alpha Riley let me get my balance but his hands were still claiming my waist. “For leaving and snapping at you.” He completed his sentence.
My ass was poking directly at his manly bulge. I didn’t mind anything else at that moment. I just needed all the support I could get from this man. My wolf wanted to move far away but I can’t survive without the alpha at the moment. I have no pack. I have no memory of where I belong. If I run into the wild, I might get captured by rogues and forced to be one of them. But this man behind me has everything I need to protect myself.
“My legs are weak.” I muttered.
“Here lean on me. I’ll help you into the bedroom.” Alpha Riley replied.
He had his arms around me until he carried me up and back into the bathroom. I buried my face in his solid chest just to sniff his scent. Alpha Riley smelled so good.
“Thank you.” I said as he lay me gently on the bed. I sighed in relief.
I don’t expect that alpha Riley could be this nice. He is confusing me. One moment he is gentle and warm. Another minute he switches up to being cold, harsh and mean. But one thing was certain now, the alpha is sweet and kind. He has a good heart but his past must have reshaped him to be who he is now-cold and mean.
I wasn’t sleepy but I closed my eyes with a plan to open them once he leaves.
“I killed my beta who also happened to be my step brother.” His words made my eyes flare open immediately.
I am sure alpha Riley is not the type to tell people about things that concerns him.
“I was angry. I felt betrayed. My mate didn’t wait for me to come for her. So she went straight to the body of water and drowned herself in it.” Alpha Riley narrated.
“She must have been scared of what you would do to her when she found out about what you did to the beta.” I couldn’t hold back the automatic sympathy at what he had lost.
“I had no plans of hurting them. I would have forgiven them even though it hurts my wolf so badly. But I killed the Beta because he has plans to rebel against me. My own step brother insisted on taking my mate out of the pack to somewhere far away where I would never find her. It was hard to believe that they would do such a thing to me. They were my most trusted wolves in the pack.” Alpha Riley ran his hand through his hair.
“I am sorry about the loss of your mate. But how long were you married as mates? And didn’t your beta had a mate?” I questioned.
“Three years… we got married when I was twenty three. And my beta didn’t have a mate.” Alpha Riley responded.
I screwed up my face. “So you have been without a mate for close to two decades?” I was surprised.
Alpha Riley shook his head in agreement. Well I thought every wolf that loses a mate and is willing to stay strong and alive has a second chance mate so how come he never found one? I mused.
“You want to repay me for saving your life right?” He asked.
And I nodded my head in response. The alpha sat at the edge of the bed and he moved closer to me.
“I have a two percent chance of finding my second chance mate. I don’t want another mate but I need to produce an heir that would take over my pack when I am gone. So do you think you can birth me one?” He stated.
My eyes widened in shock at his request. The alpha was damn straight forward on stating his demands.
“I want you to have my pup. The terms are simple, we don’t have to fall in love with each other. You’ll have the pup and then leave after a year. I’ll give you everything that you want. I’ll protect you from anything and give you a good life somewhere away from this pack.” Alpha Riley said in a low tone with a serious look on his face.
I was dumbfounded. I didn’t expect him to ask for something like this in exchange of saving my life. He can get someone from his pack to bear him a child right?
“I don’t want anyone from my pack. I was considering surrogacy somewhere far from here but it won’t easy.” Alpha Riley countered as if he had read my mind.
“You want a heir? But what if I accept to have your pup and it turns out to be a she-wolf?” I asked.
“I don’t mind the gender. I just want a pup that will take over this pack and carry on my name.” Alpha Riley replied.
This is going to be hard. I have think about it deeply. But will he throw me out of the pack if I turn him down?
“You don’t have to give me a response now. So take your time to think about it. But remember that I don’t like waiting for too long.” Alpha Riley stood up.
“Sleep well, water.” He covered me up with the bed cover and switched on the bed side lamp.
“How about you give me a new name?” I suggested.
Alpha Riley stopped walking. “Fine, I was waiting for you to bring it up.” He turned to look at me.
“I want a name. It seems that water brings up bad memories in your head.” I said.
“Edda. It is my mother’s name.” Alpha Riley said.
The light in the room went off with the bed side lamp providing a dim brightness in the small area where it was.
“Edda.” I repeated.
“That would be your new name.” Alpha Riley replied before he exited the room.
Edda, that’s not bad. But what do I do about his demand to bear him a pup? I thought.