Rise of the fated alpha pair

Lyra POV “You’re not from here, are you?” I winced as the words left my mouth, but what else was I supposed to say? The diner was dingy and old, just like the forgotten highway outside. The parking lot was losing its battle to nature. Weeds broke through crevices of the parking lot, which was turning to gravel with each passing week. A root had shot up through one of the limited parking spaces, so only cars with high ground clearance could park there. More tangible evidence that this small town in rural Colorado was also slowly being reclaimed by Mother Nature. I knew everyone who came into my diner. Everyone. Not only because the handful of regulars and their tips were my only income, but because I had to be vigilant. I had to watch for others like me. But while this rumpled, stale-smelling man certainly wasn’t what, or who, I was worried about, I hadn’t been able to think of anything else to say. His tired gaze lifted from his coffee as he shook his head and mumbled something a

Ronan POV The music was loud, and the beer flowed freely. I wasn’t the biggest fan of parties, but tonight I had to suck it up. It was my party, after all. The hanging white lights from the trees were a nice touch, filling the small clearing with a soft glow. Trucks parked around the edges, tailgates facing front to hold food and people. We had blankets and fold up chairs, plastic cups, and blue jeans. It was noisy—loud and exuberant, with children running around as adults laughed and danced. It was more of a tailgate than an engagement party, but I kept a smile on my face, trying to enjoy it. I supposed I was simply still struggling with my new role as Alpha. I cared immensely for everyone in this pack, but socializing had never been my strength. Now that I was Alpha, their eyes followed me constantly. It would take some time to adjust. Our pack lived loosely together deep in the forest; in small serviceable cabins we’d built with our own hands. We were deep enough in the wildern

Lyra POV My eyelids were slow to pry open, like I was being woken from a coma. What the hell happened? My wolf was calm in my chest, but my heart was not as I remembered what had happened the night before. “Shit, how long did I run for?” I whispered to myself, staring at my muddied bare feet, but my wolf gave no inkling as to what happened. My fear of being caught drove her forward. I only had flashes of greens and browns as we raced through the night. I trusted my wolf. She wouldn’t put us in danger. Wind ripped through my hair, causing goosebumps along my bare skin as I pushed myself off the ground. I used the moment to take a whiff of the area, trying to gauge where my wolf had taken us, but I got nothing. We weren’t in an area I had been in before. I tilted my head back to peer into the fir treetops, which was all I could see. We were high in elevation based on the trees and rock slabs, but too deep in the woods to see any discernible features like a mountain peak. “Great

Ronan POV The boundaries of my pack were vast and mostly undisturbed by humans or curious hikers. If my mother and I had to give up the islands, this was a damn good second place as far as territories went. Yellowstone National Park. The air was different from the island, but it was nearly as clean. It was crisper here, carrying the scents of trees and rivers, whereas the scents from the island were saltier. I frowned, realizing I could barely remember the smell of the ocean. Perhaps one day I could visit. There was something calming about the forest, along with the thrill of losing myself deep within its woods. The rivers that coursed through the valleys were just as forceful as the ocean, and the wildlife as varied and breath-taking. And snow. I hated it at first, but I grew to love the silence it brought. Heading up to the higher elevations during winter quickly became my favorite way to clear my head if the forest didn’t quite do the trick. My father had spent many days wit

Lyra POV The first thing I felt when I came to was a kink in my neck. Then the tight puffiness of my hands which were bound tightly behind my back.I didn’t dare open my eyes. The instincts from childhood were too strong—always assess the situation first. Waiting to learn more had saved me from plenty of beatings in the past.I swallowed down the lump in my throat and concentrated on keeping my breaths even while I listened.I expected to be sore or bruised, but I wasn’t. It seemed . . . fine. Two quick heartbeats were ten feet from my feet, and they were young. Likely the boys from the woods. A thundering heartbeat surrounded by immense Alpha power sat seven feet away, and it was an exercise in control to keep my body relaxed. I’d rip that fucker’s face off when I could.Based on the smells, I wasn’t in any territory I’d traversed before but definitely still in the woods somewhere. Maybe I could still run for it.Cracking one eye open, I peeked through my lashes. They were exactly w