He had not emerged unscathed; young Rowan was a tempest of rage. Upon witnessing Ryder enter the aircraft’s cabin to retrieve Brianna, he immediately disapproved of being distanced from his mother.
Rowan and Logan exhibited a notable calmness, particularly with Stella clinging to him, although observing her was intriguing in its own right. He had witnessed her snarl at both him and Luca; even Oscar’s head had been raised in response when she had done so in Hawaii. Observing her bow down in the pack hospital at Rowan’s Alpha Aura, he was overwhelmed by an unrestrained reaction towards every wolf he encountered, leaving the poor child utterly distressed.
Stella exposed her neck and subsequently knelt down. Although she was weeping in anguish, which is a human response, his actions were not human; he would still be attempting to restrain the boy from attacking the surrounding wolves. All his claws were extended, and Stella, although she had managed to restrain him at the airport, merely stepped back from him within the pack.
She instinctively recognised that she could not restrain him; he was unable to assist her and all the pack members simultaneously while attempting to manage the enraged Alpha pup in his arms. He attempted to use his hand to push her away and out of the Aura, but discovered she was just beyond his reach.
Fortunately, Ryder returned and engaged with the boy, redirecting his focus. The boy’s wolf aura was exclusively directed at Ryder, who could manage it effectively, unlike several wolves within the hospital and Stella herself, who had two nurses restrained before him while Stella lay on the ground.
Nolan distanced himself from Logan, as there was nothing further he could accomplish. Ryder had to manage his son independently, so he knelt and lifted her from the floor as soon as she was freed from Rowan.
Observing Ryder depart with a struggling Rowan, he had sustained two strikes from his own son’s wolf, fully clawed, and Nolan highly doubted this would be the man’s sole injury. He understood that Ryder would not desire to harm the boy, thus he endured the blows without contemplating retribution, as doing so would only foster animosity and jeopardise any potential for a meaningful connection.
Stella gazed up at him and then embraced him without uttering a word regarding the recent events. Appeared to be simply relieved to rise from the floor. It was peculiar; he anticipated her to be in severe pain, possibly requiring medical intervention, yet there was no blood emanating from her nose or ears, nor did she grasp her head as if suffering from an unbearable headache.
She had neither been rendered unconscious, which was quite peculiar.
She appeared to require no medical attention, and when he enquired about her well-being, she merely nodded and replied, “I’m okay,” exhibiting no signs of discomfort, which was peculiar, to say the least. Luca later approached him and instructed that he must escort Stella to his room and confine her there at Ryder’s directive for the time being.
Nolan was amenable to the notion and would relish having her exclusively for extended periods; however, he was intrigued by the reason the order had requested this, communicating through the mind-link to ensure Stella remained unaware.
“She is not wholly human, Nolan,” came the response.
“She poses no threat, Luca.” I may require her to detain Rowan for an extended period.
I am cognisant of that; it is merely temporary until we ascertain her nature.
Nolan had not contested the Beta’s decision, and being alone with Stella posed no difficulty for either him or Oscar. Enjoyed solitude with her.
He smiled to himself, knowing she would sleep soundly after they finished with her. Heard Oscar chuckle within his consciousness and recognised that his wolf was quite pleased to be confined in a room with their diminutive human, albeit not entirely human mate.
His wolf sensed something unusual about her as well; she would likely transform on the forthcoming full moon. However, regarding what even Oscar was uncertain about, he remained indifferent, solely focused on the prospect of having a counterpart in a transformed state, which greatly exhilarated him. Although he had cherished Mating Stella in their human forms and found satisfaction in her, it was always advantageous for their wolf to possess their own shifter Mate.
They had not reached Mate Stella on the full moon, and he was aware that she desired to; she had instigated all events that night. Had Brianna not fled, he and Oscar would have permitted her to dominate them with all her capabilities for as long as she desired. She would have thoroughly enjoyed every moment, fully aware of her desire for control. He presumed he would have permitted her, although Oscar scoffed at that notion; he was a highly dominant wolf who preferred to maintain complete control and had enjoyed exerting dominance over Stella.
He escorted her from the pack hospital to the pack house. It was merely adjacent, a brief five-minute stroll across the front of the pack-house. I observed her surveying the surroundings and smiled at her inquisitiveness as she remarked, “That’s a nice hotel.”
Nolan informed her, “This is not a hotel.” “It is the pack-house, where all the ranked members reside, should they choose to do so.” We possess a suite on the uppermost floor.
She gazed upward at the three-story pack-house, constructed of black brick and featuring black marble columns at the entrance. The interior was ultra-modern, equipped with the latest technologies. The floors were adorned with black marble tiles, while the walls were a soft cream to prevent excessive darkness. Two years prior, Ryder replaced all the windows with single-pane glass, providing excellent views of the pack from any vantage point. However, none of the windows were operable, as they were all double-insulated for the frigid winter months.
