While he searched the pack-house for her, she was fleeing towards the border. By the time he comprehended this, he was also en route to the border and felt their connection sever entirely; it had simply disappeared. He immediately recognised that his long-held fears had come to fruition.
She had completely abandoned the pack, severing all connections, unable to endure the anguish inflicted by their Alpha. Her mate was inadvertently causing her distress. He was unaware that attempting to inform a wolf of the existence of a Mate elsewhere, while engaging in s****l relations with another, would be detrimental to her. No wolf would accept that without detecting his Mate, especially considering she belonged to his own pack; it was utterly implausible.
Only detecting your Mate’s scent could persuade you and your wolf of the existence of a Mate.
Ryder was focused on Goddess-Gifted Mates, seeking the one who was destined for him and his wolf. Had he detected his Mate, they would have united, culminating in a Luna Ceremony and a grand celebration.
Nolan was aware that the man had not detected her presence, had not encountered his Mate, and had attended full moon gatherings during those three years. Indeed, he had been home during a full moon when there was also no mating ball. That night, she not only rejected him but also the entire pack.
Their western boundary was in close proximity to the city limits, and once she dissociated from the pack, Nolan was incapable of tracking her. Furthermore, his unfamiliarity with her appearance at that time meant he could have encountered her on the periphery of the human city of Helena without recognising her.
He now understood why he could never perceive her; the pendant she wore rendered her undetectable by scent. It constituted a logistical catastrophe. It is unsurprising that he and Oscar were repeatedly disoriented, unable to detect her or identify her in either his human or wolf form, despite employing all of Oscar’s senses in the pursuit, which appeared futile, though it was not his fault, a fact that was ultimately irrelevant. Had just rendered them feeling inadequate in their capacity as a Gamma. Believed they were malfunctioning, that their Gamma instincts were impaired, and he was unable to perform his responsibilities.
He realised Ryder had ceased dating and engaging in casual encounters following that night, as evidenced by the subsequent day’s discussions with Doc Daniel and Nolan regarding their perceptions of the situation. However, the harm inflicted upon his Mate was irreversible, and she ultimately reached her limit and departed.
As they traversed the Pacific Ocean, he felt apprehensive about her once more. Nolan had not anticipated the existence of a child resulting from their singular night together. Ryder informed him that he had not engaged with the girl. However, to comprehend the extent of her internal suffering within the pack and subsequently become pregnant by her Mate, who remained oblivious to her identity, meant enduring a perpetual reminder for the entirety of her life.
Was the moon goddess so merciless to a single she-wolf, subjecting her to immense suffering and then providing a perpetual reminder of what she could never attain, thereby inflicting even greater anguish? Nolan had finally viewed an image of the boy, whose name he had been informed was Logan.
He resembled Brianna more than Ryder, possessing her hair and skin tone, yet inherited his father’s distinctive eyes. Nolan contemplated how she had managed to endure his gaze upon her at the moment of his birth. Did it inflict upon her greater suffering?
The photographs reveal that the boy possesses his wolf, which he had previously observed on Luca’s phone, exhibiting the same white wolf eyes as Brianna’s wolf, Layla. Was unequivocally more of a Dieng than a Wood. He could merely hope that it had assisted her in raising the boy.
Luca possessed several photographs of the boy, Brianna, and the two of them together. He had devoted the evening and morning to observing them, captured an extensive number of photographs, and had even pursued them as discreetly as possible during their morning run.
She informed Nolan that she and Logan shared a strong bond, which greatly relieved him. Observing their camaraderie, characterised by laughter and smiles prior to their run, alleviated some of his own anguish and guilt for not being present for her.
He understood that they were travelling to assist Ryder in bringing Brianna, and that his Gamma abilities would likely be required in full capacity. Ryder had previously elucidated to him his perceptions during their initial meeting with her; it aligned with Nolan’s anticipations, as well as those of the others, including Ryder himself.
Nolan was uncertain about her potential reintegration into the pack; she had endured significant suffering, which led her to depart and now reside as a human, leading a highly visible human existence.
Nolan anticipated that his awareness of her identity would effectively engage his instincts. He was already aware that he could not detect her scent and had scrutinised her photographs intently to imprint her image in his memory, thereby eliminating the necessity of relying on his olfactory sense to recognise her.
On that day, outside her store, he attempted to comfort a distressed Sadie regarding Brianna Layla’s destruction of the picture of the dress she aspired to wear one day. Brianna exited her store and regarded each individual in succession, all present for Sadie, before rolling her eyes and departing. He could merely envision her anguish on that day as well.
He observed her discerning gaze directed at them; she was aware of Luca’s identity as the Pack Beta. She scrutinised him and then Enzo, assessing the presence of her former Alpha’s unit, and noted their entirety. He was uncertain whether her eye roll was directed at Sadie’s need for comfort or at the presence of her former Pack’s Alpha Unit standing across the road.
All of them gazed directly at her, yet remained oblivious, even at this moment. Years later, after her departure, her identity and potential significance to them remained unresolved. However, he sensed more than mere annoyance emanating from her, and that something had nagged at him; she seemed somewhat familiar. However, he did not remember her at all, thus he merely observed her depart down the street while placing a hand on Luca to restrain him.
