Chapter 5

The words of the Alpha still echoed in her head.

"Weak."

She gritted her teeth, the memory of his rough pull on her chin made her chest tighten. 

He had spoken to her like she was nothing. But she wasn’t nothing, she was pitiful to look at, yes, but she wasn't weak, she had survived these past few days on her own.

"He doesn’t know what I’ve been through. What I’ve lost. He knows nothing," she muttered.

"I must survive... I will survive, I'm not a weakling," she said in a whisper. "For my Pack, for my family."

She leaned her head back against the wall, closing her eyes.

***

Ryland quietly walked in the corridor staring at the phone in his hand as it buzzed, Serena.

He let out an annoyed sigh and rubbed his temple before answering.

"Hello, Serena," he answered calmly his voice devoid of any emotions

"Ryland baby," her voice came through light and playful. "You disappeared after dinner. I had the mindset that we'd spend some time together after we were done, but you just disappeared.”

"I had important work to do," he sternly replied

There was silence and then she spoke again, her tone teasing. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he replied quickly, though the irritation wasn't hard to catch in his voice and it was obvious she didn't care.

She laughed low and soft. "Good. I was starting to worry. You didn't even touch me tonight."

Ryland's eyes closed in pure irritation as his jaw clenched. He could hear the edge of disappointment in her voice, but that only served to feed his frustration.

"I've been busy," he replied.

"Busy?" She repeated, with a swift change in her voice, softer, almost sulky. "You are always busy, Ryland. Don't you miss me, don't you miss my touch?"

He blew out a hard breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course, I do."

"Then show it," she said, her voice again sweet as she said, "Come see me tomorrow. I miss you, I miss us."

"Fine," he growled low, trying his best to remain calm so she could end the call as his patience was wearing thin.

"Good," she brightened. "I will be waiting."

And with that, she hung up, leaving him to stare at the phone momentarily before he flipped it onto the desk with a frustrated grunt.

 About a year ago, he'd asked Serena to be his fiancée, a decision not born out of love, but one of necessity. 

Yes, loyalty, obedience, and a dependable character were the things he had wanted in his partner.

But still, she was lacking. 

She didn't excite him... she never did, she didn't challenge him, and though she was everything a man would ever want, she just wasn't enough.

Ryland ran a hand through his wild red hair, and his mind strayed to other thoughts. 

She was trying her best, of course. She was loving and accommodating, but she drew the line at the things he truly desired. 

The thrill of control, the power dynamics he craved, it wasn't something she could give him.

And lately, it was wearing hard on him.

Then out of nowhere his thoughts shifted to the girl in the lower quarters. The rogue. The stray pup.

He hadn't been able to stop thinking about her since their little encounter, but when he touched her soft skin he couldn't explain what had happened to him. 

She was weak, yes, but there was a fire in her that intrigued him. She wasn't like the others who cowered before him, desperate for mercy. No.

She had looked him in the eye, defiant even in her fear. It was… Amusingly beautiful.

Ryland smirked, his wolf stirring at the memory.

"She's just a wild little puppy," he muttered to himself. "Weak, but fiery."

The thought brought a flicker of amusement to his face. He didn't know why she fascinated him, but he wasn't about to ignore it anytime soon.

Perhaps he would find some entertainment in her after all.

As the night wore on, Ryland was finally alone in his bedroom. The gigantic room was softly lit by the silver moonlight, while his curtains danced gently with the wind.

As he sat on his bed and felt his mind racing. There was no sleep to be found, as his thoughts kept going around in circles towards the rogue girl, then to Serena, then back to the rogue girl, and the void within his chest when he should already have everything he had always wanted.

And then, it hit him again only this time it lingered in his nostrils longer than it had before he went to the dinner with Serena.

A sweet intoxicating fragrance.

Earlier, it was faint, but now it had grown in strength as it wrapped around him like a whisper. It was intoxicating, sweet, and utterly irresistible.

His wolf growled deep in his chest. The primal sound vibrated through him.

"What is that?" he murmured. His emerald green eyes narrowed around his bed room.

He felt his wolf stir from the scent, and he knew he had no control over it. His wolf clawed at the surface, desperate to be let out.

Ryland stood slowly, every movement was languid, slow, deliberate. His gaze darted to the door, instantly on high alert, trying to place the source.

The scent was drawing him, pulling him towards the source like a snake being lured by a snake charmer.

"Mmmm," he growled low.

With one lurching step forward, his heart pounded, as his chest churned with a mix of curiosity and something more deeper, more sensual.

Something dangerous.