Ryder recognised the moment Fade bit Nolan’s leg playfully before darting away from him. His wolf was poised to emerge and pursue its prey.
Designate his companion in wolf form, likely marking her as well. It was inevitable; he dismissed the man with a shake of his head. No wolf could withstand their Mate’s playfulness or attempts to flee; they would likely pursue each other for an extended period prior to mating, provided Fade was swifter than Oscar. It was probably attributable to her stature.
Luca returned Logan to Brianna, desiring his mother. He extended his arms towards her, appreciating that at the age of seven he still enjoyed being carried, which facilitated a strong bond with the boy. This was the inaugural instance he had witnessed a wolf manifest from its human form. Subsequently, he observed Nolan transform into Oscar. He hoped the boy was not afraid. He was predominantly silent, posing only a limited number of enquiries.
At least Rowan had not extricated himself from the boy, and he had permitted Luca to remove him from the scene, distancing him from Brianna. Ryder was somewhat surprised; he did not anticipate that Rowan would retreat, yet he did so. A positive aspect. He may have heeded his mother’s apprehensions regarding his premature emergence.
Although Luca had not moved the boy far, merely enough to be beyond the potential conflict zone, the man might have a grievance with Brianna at present. Nevertheless, he exhibited Beta qualities when necessary, and safeguarding the heir to the Pack was among his responsibilities. The growl from Rowan had effectively mobilised every member of his Unit into action.
He observed that Betsie had been forcefully pushed back into the car by Enzo. He was positioned adjacent to the car’s door. She was unable to shift at this juncture. He would prioritise her protection, and Ryder would anticipate nothing less, to be candid.
He nearly laughed when he realised that Nathan had to demean himself in order to apologise to Brianna; he suppressed his amusement and felt grateful at that moment for not being a Dieng himself. He felt at ease in the foyer of his pack-house, embracing his Mate and son, exuding protectiveness.
Although he had not genuinely undertaken this action to safeguard Brianna, it was primarily for the benefit of Logan and Rowan. He made it unequivocally clear to the boy that he would exert every effort to safeguard not only himself but also his mother. An unequivocal declaration.
Neither she nor the boy withdrew from him, even when he had drawn them back against him with his arm encircling them. He need not intervene between them and Nathan, as the man posed no threat, despite their aversion to him and his demeanour; he was their relative and belonged to an allied pack.
Brianna appeared to comprehend and permitted him to embrace both of them against his body. She likely recognised that he was attempting to soothe their son in conjunction with her, albeit in a dominant manner.
He appreciated that she did not merely accept the man’s apology, demonstrating that her obstinacy extended beyond him to all wolves at this juncture. Provided him with a slight improvement in mood. However, not significantly.
Neither he nor Aiden appreciated Annabella’s declaration that they were now subject to the Dieng laws due to his claim on Brianna, which was made publicly. The woman was aware of this information from the instant he informed her that Aiden had Marked her. Nathan, for that matter, had also remained silent on the issue, keeping it to himself.
Annabella did not mention it in his office this morning, despite having the opportunity to do so while conversing with Brianna earlier. He had referenced those laws, yet did not indicate that he was currently obligated by them. The woman deliberately refrained from informing him, intending for him to witness Nathan’s humiliation. Prior to disclosing it to him, presumably for him to observe its appearance, likely as a deterrent, she found it exceedingly entertaining to present it to him.
Brianna, too, conveyed everything through her entirely amused expression as she raised her gaze to meet his. She would apply the laws against him at her discretion, and when he instructed her to ‘stop it,’ he was somewhat astonished to hear her openly acknowledge her intention to use them to humiliate him.
Both he and Aiden were astonished to observe her eyes briefly flicker, indicating Layla’s concurrence with Brianna, as she merely laughed and departed, continuing to smile to herself as the lift doors closed on her and Logan.
After the lift doors closed, he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to find Enzo smiling at him. “She is more than entertained, Alpha.” All Gamma, not Delta, he recognised, with Nolan or Stella, he appeared to be performing dual roles. “She may remain solely to apply those laws against you.”
Ryder scowled at the man. “That is not my desire.”
