“I am cognizant.” Well done, son. From my perspective, it is not primarily her wolves. You could have perished tonight and failed to inform her, did not provide prior warning.
“Did you inform her of the consequence?””
“I had no necessity to, once I informed her that Nathan would impose a penalty on you.” She and her wolf discerned the solution rapidly. As is customary. Anger is a natural consequence of being uninformed about the repercussions.
“Why is she angry with me?”I refrained from informing her and did not attempt to influence her.He scowled.
“It is a catch-22; had you cautioned her, she would have been upset with you for attempting to compel her to articulate what may not have occurred.” On one hand, they comprehend your silence; however, on the other hand, had she expressed her lack of consent and you proceeded to take what you desired from her, you would have faced an Alpha Duel to the death. They might have lost their Mate before even having the opportunity to claim them.
Ryder exhaled audibly. Regardless of his approach, he would remain in disfavour with Brianna and Layla. “You could have forewarned me!””
“What is the rationale for my doing that?” It was foreseeable. Particularly with a Mate who is partially claimed and a rogue.” She shook her head at him, indicating her belief in this.
He glared at her, while Annabella merely returned his gaze, appearing entirely unconcerned. “Allow her to be; their strong emotions regarding this indicate their willingness to become your Luna.” However, this serves as a caution for you, Ryder. I have observed she-wolves attack their mates for this specific reason. Nearly harming their partners in a rage due to a lack of communication regarding the repercussions, I would assert that the sole factor preventing you from receiving a reprimand is the necessity for your partner above to consider the emotional well-being of a child.
“Have you encountered any Alpha Duels?””
“Indeed, Nathan’s father,” she affirmed, “the man is still alive, you understand.”
“I do, and what of the she-wolf?””
“In our Pack, her Mate was slain. She had already declined him by that time,” she dismissed, “It occurs infrequently.” However, as previously mentioned, the majority of Diengs remain within our own group.
“I heard.”
“Will you care for my great-granddaughter and my great-great-grandson now?””
“I shall safeguard them at all costs, Annabella.” I assure you of this.
She smiled at him, saying, “Good, good.” I will be visiting regularly, likely attending the Mating Balls as an opportunity to see them. “I shall assume the role of chaperone for the group,” she remarked with a chuckle. “I find this place rather appealing.”
Ryder gazed down at her with a smile. “Feel free to visit and remain for a period, if you wish.”
“I may indeed do that,” she affirmed with a nod.
Ryder returned to his office, while a chaperone shook his head. The impression was that the woman desired to be present consistently, and he would permit her to do so. She possessed half the lineage of an Arctic wolf, while Fade was entirely an Arctic wolf. It was highly probable that she desired proximity to her own species. She remarked that she had missed the Arctic wolves.
He would temporarily leave Brianna and Layla alone, likely for the best, considering Layla desired his attention or sought to reprimand him for not informing them about the potential Duel. He did not wish to influence her, nor did he want her to feel compelled to fabricate details about that night, and he also sought to alleviate her concerns regarding its consequences.
I merely desired for her to enter and respond truthfully.
Ryder would need to apologise for her being blindsided and for failing to explain his prior decision to withhold information. He explained it to her as thoroughly as possible, hoping she would comprehend, although from what he had gathered through his connection to Nolan, it was Layla who was angry, not Brianna. Perhaps one comprehended while the other did not.
Brianna’s Perspective
Brianna was seated in the pack-house dining room alongside Logan, Stella, Ryder, and his entire Alpha Unit. This morning, he knocked on her door and courteously requested her presence downstairs for breakfast with Logan. The boy shouted his hunger and promptly exited, leaving her with limited options.
She glared at him, still irritated from the previous night, as was Layla, who mentally confronted their Mate before them. It seemed she still desired to exert her influence over them. Logan was the sole reason she refrained from doing so.
Her spoon paused midway to her mouth as Helen burst into the pack-house dining room, exuberantly calling his name and brandishing a piece of newspaper. It appeared to have been forcibly removed from someone’s grasp, as indicated by the frown on Benjamin’s face and the remaining papers he held; it was probable that she had snatched it from him while he was reading and fled with it.
“Ryder, Brianna, you are featured in the newspaper,” Helen exclaimed enthusiastically as she approached the table, took a deep breath, and read aloud the headline.
Helena’s most distinguished bachelor. “Acquired and removed from the market.” She then rotated the paper for everyone to view the image. The photograph was in full colour, featuring Ryder, herself, and Logan positioned centrally. Both individuals were grasping his hand while walking together.
Brianna sighed; she did not require this at this moment.
Subsequently, Helen reversed the situation and resumed reading the article, which indicated that the trio had not only been observed shopping for several hours but had also shared lunch together, with all of Ryder’s close friends present as well. Upon further investigation into the potential unavailability of Mr. Ryder Wood, it appears he may be off the market or will be shortly.
They discovered that the woman in the photograph with him was Miss Brianna Layla, proprietor of the esteemed Goddess Gowns Bridal store, a distinguished wedding dress designer. It has been observed that Mr. Wood has recently visited Colorado multiple times, with his most recent stay lasting nearly a week at a hotel near the Goddess Gown store where Brianna Layla is employed. It then proclaimed in bold letters at the bottom, “Apologies, ladies, it appears our Bachelor is unavailable.”
