“I am aware of that,” Ryder retorted directly at his father.
Perhaps if you had not mishandled the situation following her mother’s death when she was merely 10 years old. This situation would not be occurring.” He directed his exhausted and irate thoughts towards his father, feeling the urge to yell at someone; it might as well be the man who initially lost the girl.
“Do not hold me accountable for that boy!” You had your hands on her; how could you not recognise she was your Mate?He retorted with a snarl.
“I could not perceive her scent,” he bellowed in response. “Whose fault is that?””
The bedroom door swung open abruptly, revealing Luca, who was gazing at him, “Ryder?”He enquired. Ryder exhaled audibly and gestured towards his phone on the bed.
“Apologies, Luca, it is acceptable.” His agitation had prompted his Beta to approach him, suspecting that something was amiss. He gestured for him to return to his room, observed as Luca glanced at the phone’s screen, presumably recognising his father’s name, before retreating from the room and shutting the door.
“Enough, Ryder. We are both likely culpable to some extent,” his father murmured. Ryder believed that his father ought to have located the girl when she was ten and, upon failing to do so, should have verified her whereabouts with her mother’s pack.
Not merely assumed she had departed for that location.
Indeed, numerous events were occurring at that time. They were confronting a substantial rogue assault. Subsequently, his newborn arrived the following day, merely hours after the conclusion of the assault. Subsequently, there was a cleanup following the assault, during which a young girl became lost; she now appeared to be a rogue, seemingly more human than wolf, based on his observations. Had forsaken their practices.
“Coordinate with the movers; I will attempt to persuade Brianna to retract her police report in the morning.” It is late at night here, as I previously mentioned. I will not be knocking on her door at this hour. Please address the matter accordingly.
“Very well, ensure that you return that girl and my grandson here as soon as possible.” The call ended abruptly.
Ryder exhaled deeply, scowling into the room’s obscurity; it would not be straightforward, as she was firmly entrenched in the human realm. He had observed no evidence that Brianna Layla associated with any non-human entities, and he had been extensively investigating her to determine the most effective approach to manage her.
According to his reading, she existed as a human, engaged in human employment, and had no interactions with her own species whatsoever. Since founding her company, she has predominantly lived and worked in Colorado, where she opened her first store a year after departing from the Pack, and has continued to reside there.
Only one pack, The Pale Moon Pack, was in proximity to her, yet he could find no connection between them. She resided independently in the city and the Pale Moon Pack. They were located near the Tillamook State Forest.
Significantly distanced from her expected location, Ryder was convinced that Brianna deliberately avoided wolves. She had endured considerable suffering due to his ignorance of their Mate Bond, leading him to doubt her willingness to approach wolves again.
She expressed her refusal and would not seek another mate who also could not perceive her scent. It is highly probable that she would be deliberately evading the pursuit of one at any expense.
He believed she had become more human than wolf, which saddened him considerably. Nonetheless, she retained her wolf, Layla. The extent of her interaction or alteration remained unknown to him.
It was commendable that upon changing her name and establishing her company, she named it in honour of herself and her wolf. He genuinely appreciated that, demonstrating her affection for her wolfen counterpart, suggesting that a fragment of her may still adhere to her wolfen nature.
Replaced his phone on the charger and reclined, hoping that the following day would not be a nightmare, and that he and Nolan could converse with her, maintain her composure, and encourage her to consider rejoining the Pack.
At least now he possessed some understanding of her and her lineage. Not the entirety, but perhaps a sufficient amount. He was optimistic about persuading her to return with him, engage with her family, and attempt to resolve the situation.
Ryder needed to ascertain whether their Mate Bond had genuinely been severed that day or if it remained intact. He was oblivious. She needed to ascertain that first; she should be aware that she would still be able to detect his scent. If they remained connected, he hoped it would enhance his chances of her heeding him. Subsequently, there arose the question of whether it was. Would she candidly acknowledge it?
If not, he would likely have to physically contact her, as she felt exceedingly alluring to him, resulting in a complete loss of self-control. If that feeling persisted, he would be capable of acknowledging it. He contemplated how it would unfold, questioned his ability to manage it, and was keenly interested in Aiden’s response. His wolf had remained silent for several days.
He remained irritated because he was unable to perceive his own puppy. They were aware the boy belonged to them; not only did he possess Ryder’s distinctive eyes, but the timeline was consistent, his age was appropriate, and they also recognised that she had never been with anyone else prior to him.
