Chapter 5

RYDER.

I watched Briella from my spot without her even realizing it. I wasn't certain how she hadn't picked up on my scent yet, but I took it as a temporary blessing because it gave me a minute to think, to consider everything.

This turn of events was entirely unexpected and fucking impossible to wrap my head around.

I thought back to what Dad had said in his office. He'd mentioned that I could possibly find my mate and Luna tonight. Who would've thought that the old man would end up being right? I certainly didn't.

Growing up, he taught me almost everything that I knew about being an Alpha. I thought about every lesson and scar that had shaped me into the Alpha that I was supposed to be. He had spent my entire life drilling expectations and responsibilities into me. So much so that it has come practically second nature to me now.

Duty. Control. Authority. Those three things were cornerstones to him.

There were so many things that separated good Alphas from bad ones. The concept was simple. The reality, not so much.

Good Alphas understood balance. Power wasn't meant to enslave people. It was meant to protect. That was precisely how the Goddess designed it. They were supposed to carry the pack's weight on their shoulders without making their people feel the burden. They didn't lead with fear. Likewise, others listened when they spoke out of their own free will, not because they were afraid of the consequences.

Bad ones were a different breed.

They believed that leaders were meant to dominate those in their charge. They thought it made them respected. Anyone they deemed weaker was preyed upon, treated as if it was their own fault. Cruelty was used as a tool to keep order. People were punished for things they'd supposedly done—but it was more about who held the power than what was right.

Which category did Dad belong to? I was ashamed to admit that it was the second one.

Just like he taught me lessons in being an Alpha, I'd also learned what not to do—lessons I learned by watching him more than listening. For example, I believed that a pack was strong not just because of the warriors and leadership, but because of the entirety of the pack. From Alpha to Omega. Goddess forbid that I ever mentioned how I truly viewed it.

He believed that respect wasn't earned. It was demanded. And anyone who needed that reminder got one that left a lasting impression. I disagreed, of course, even if I hadn't told him as much. Respect was earned, especially when it came to our pack.

To him, optics were everything. Image before integrity. Power before peace.

Talk about insufferable.

There were times when I wasn't certain about who Ryder was. Which parts were just echoes of him and which ones were my own. Sometimes I had to wonder if our pack had ever left the past century. One such area was the ridiculous notion that she-wolves would never be as capable as males. It was utter bullshit. I'd seen many females who could put any man on his ass. Chromosomes didn't dictate superiority. It was a hard concept for some to grasp.

Knowing what I did about Briella, she'd shatter each outdated tradition in this pack. I had absolutely no doubt about that. She wasn't led by expectations or rank. She lived her life the way that she wanted to. There was something special and empowering about that. Axel recognized it before I did. She moved like she didn't belong to anyone but herself. I could see that despite the way that she attempted to blend into the shadows.

Perhaps that was why my heart was attempting to break free of my chest.

She wasn't just my mate. She was everything that my father said I couldn't have. Everything he said an Alpha shouldn't need.

I exhaled slowly, desperately needing to get a handle on my emotions.

It startled me a bit that this was the first time I truly questioned if the path that had been laid out for me was the right one to walk any longer. Things would be different when I led, when it was my voice that others listened to. At least, that was what I had allowed myself to believe. Because if being Alpha meant I had to choose between my father's ideals and the woman standing across the room, then the whole damn hierarchy was about to come crashing down.

Alphas were trained for their positions. What if they were also tested by those who challenged them? The ones who saw their flaws but remained by their side. And if that was the case, then maybe she wasn't just going to test me. Maybe she was going to change everything.

If my friends realized that I wasn't really engaging in their conversation, they didn't let on. Thankfully, no one had tried to join us or else I would've had to tell them to get lost. The last thing I needed was for Briella to finally notice me with some random woman hanging off my arm.

From the corner of my eye, I watched her excuse herself. The moment she disappeared down the hallway, I took my chance. I waited a couple of beats before following her delectable scent.

Toasted hazelnut. Fuck! It was already one that I couldn't get enough of.

It led me out into the cool night air and into the garden. Its maze-like hedges rose up high. I'd always enjoyed visiting here because it had been Mom's sanctuary before she died. Good memories came to mind. Days that we'd spent chasing each other through the maze.

Now it was still. A reminder that she was gone.

For a moment, I wondered if this was her doing. A nudge from whatever lies beyond. Was this her way of giving us her blessing?

Then I saw Briella.

Her back was to me as she stood in front of the wolf statue that was the perfect replica of Delilah, Mom's wolf, who had been the epitome of a Luna. Mom was the opposite of Dad in all ways. Life had been much different when she was alive to keep him in check.

I took a slow step closer. The gravel crunched under my shoe. That was all it took.

Her spine stiffened the moment that my scent registered with her. It felt like an eternity before she finally turned around. I knew that she wasn't certain what would be waiting behind her.

Her lips parted in surprise. Those gorgeous blue eyes of hers, that had starred in many dreams, widened when they met mine. Everything else faded into the background, leaving only the two of us. The connection ignited instantly as the bond snapped into place.

Axel wanted desperately to claim our mate.

But I stayed still. Not because I was unaffected. No, it was because I was afraid of this moment shattering. One wrong move was all that it'd take. Instead, I looked at the one that the Goddess had chosen for me. She was the one that I couldn't get out of my head, and now I knew why that was.

Briella's eyes slowly trailed over my body as if she was committing me to memory. Her cheeks turned pink. That blush…damn, it was beautiful. It was proof that I affected her. That was perfect because she certainly affected me.

I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips as I listened to the way that her heartrate increased. She was trying to keep her composure, but the bond between us was impossible to hide from.

The silence stretched until it became too much.

"Briella."

I took a cautious step forward. She didn't move away, but her fingers twitched nervously at her sides. It looked like she was fighting the urge to move. Either to run away or to reach for me. Our bond was unfinished, but I could still feel echoes of emotions through it. Nervousness, uncertainty, and beneath it all was fear. I wished that I could read her mind to know what caused the fear.

I couldn't help but wonder if it was me that she was afraid of…

I really wished that I could reassure her that she didn't need to worry. That whatever this was, however fast or impossible it seemed, I would never hurt her. My words wouldn't carry merit yet. Not until she believed it for herself.

A feeling burned from the inside. This bond changed everything. It was just the beginning of a much larger fight, but it would be worth it.