Their Little Wolf

Chapter Six

Heath

The tension pulled like a bow being drawn taut, my fists curling and a burning, deep rage flared in my chest as I glared at Ryker from across the meeting table of the Head Alpha’s office.

I had smelt Ari’s wounds when she’d fallen asleep in my arms – finding the lingering scent of the one who’d injured her.

If she hadn’t slept in my lap, I’m not sure I could have contained my rage.

Could have left Ryker alive this long.

Training had helped stem some of my anger, but after finding Ariella surrounded by the Grey Fang Beta and four Deltas – knowing what they intended to do.

If she hadn’t ran to me instantly – I’d have broken a vow I made years ago and killed them all.

If I hadn’t sought her out...We would have lost her. A stab of guilt twisted in my gut. It will happen again! It warned.

No. We wouldn’t let it.

She was ours – mine.

We knew Ariella’s status was a problem to others, part of it our fault – we'd kept our distance from her private life, avoided even using the hallway her bedroom was in, thinking the other leaders would have intervened. Or at very least, she’d have said something.

But, even knowing the librarian Berta was close to help her today – she still tried to handle it herself.

I couldn’t tell if it was because she didn’t want to endanger the librarian, or if Ari kept the true extend of her torment hidden from anyone she could.

It made me wonder how much she told her family. Even if she was adopted, Beta Zane and his wife never shied away from claiming Ariella like their own, having found her left on their doorstep when she was an infant.

Elijah and Jackson had protected her through our time as pups and in high school, but once we had turned sixteen, all five of us receiving our Wolves earlier than most, even for high-ranking children and my brothers and I had returned from Homeworld; we selected them as our Betas and their duties pulled them away from Ari.

We’d promised to protect her – to care for her as they had.

But we all knew we had teetered on a fragile line we were all too scared to cross, my brothers and I turning cruel admittedly, the twins seemingly ignoring it, mostly putting up with our pretty obvious bullshit.

It wasn’t the first time we’d sent them on some meaningless tasks just so the three of us could get closer to the little wolf.

Only, this time, I copped an earful from Elijah after another Rogue alarm was activated an hour east of the college, forcing he and Jack to turn around to investigate it with their own father, since there were reports of magic used.

He was pissed, but even he knew there wasn’t anything I could do.

Silver Moon dealt with any magic claims, our ties to Homeworld stronger than the rest and leaving some of us gifted in ways – or at very least able to detect when magic was used.

Both our fathers Beta, Zane, and his sons possessed such abilities.

Seb had met up with them and were already on their way back from meeting with the patrolling Wolves of Black Wing who’d sounded the alarm. Though I doubted they had anything – the attacks lately were above our rank, only the ruling Alpha’s would be given complete reports, which explained why Beta Zane was coming here.

I almost grimaced at the thought of the shitstorm waiting for my brothers and me when we had to tell our fathers Beta, we were his daughter’s mates.

He might hit one, or all, of us.

“Heathcliffe,” my father’s somber voice broke the air, snapping my attention from the

disgrace of a Wolf before me and my swirling thoughts.

My father rose a salt-and-pepper thick brow at me in warning, his moss green eyes pinning me, his hair black like ours, but the sides were pure white, aging him in a way that was almost otherworldly.

Compare to our father, my brothers and I looked like pups – he was twice our size in width and stood at an imposing seven two, a tailored black suit hugging his powerful frame, his aura seeping through the fabric as he glanced between myself and Ryker.

My father’s eyes fell to the tablet in front of him, the image on it being echoed to the ones in front of Ryker and me – a paused video, stopped on the frame of Ryker confronting Ariella in one of the common rooms of the shared Pack House.

It had been a requirement of the college that any area that was shared by the Packs was to be recorded and audio-tapped, ensuring fights and arguments were kept to a minimum – Ryker had already tried to brush his attack off, claiming ignorance and primal urge drove him.

I knew I could prove otherwise.

I saw the fire ignite in my father’s eyes as he pressed played, all our videos continuing to show Ryker attacking my mate while she cried for help.

Ryker’s eyes darkened, watching his own violence with a sheen of lust that made my Wolf snarl in disgust and rage.

My heart tore as Ariella’s voice pierced through the room, high-pitched and desperate, my fists tightening and I felt my own claws extending until I was slicing through my palms just as Ryker tore through my mate’s flesh.

She was screaming for you! And you didn’t hear her! A voice screamed in the back of my mind, lashing my insides with guilt and sorrow as her yelp filled the room, watching as Ryker threw her like a ragdoll by the tail.

We shouldn’t have been cowards – we shouldn’t have waited until we could prove she was our before we claimed her.

It was our fault Ryker attacked her.

Seb’s voice came through the video, cold and violent, drawing my attention back to the tablet. “Put her down!” A smirk almost broke on my lips, hearing Seb threaten Ryker, only to be clouded knowing the message wasn’t received.

Or worse, it was ignored.

Ryker shifted uncomfortably as the next video played - the Beta and Deltas attacking Ariella in the library, their words rumbling through the screen and the room filled with an almost crushing weight as my father’s furious aura unleashed at the Beta’s command to his Pack members.

Black eyes snapped to Ryker when the video stopped, filled with an admirable restraint that made my Wolf’s rise to match it, setting my own deadly gaze on the future Alpha of Grey Fang and waited.

“Ryker,” my father spoke, his voice a low rumble as he rose to his feet, swallowing the wall behind him as he stood, his aura swirling around him like an impending hurricane. “This is your only warning,” he leaned forward slightly, his eyes shining like obsidian in the dim light. “The Omega is to be left alone, attempts like this again will result in dire consequences.”

Ryker opened his mouth to speak, to argue only to stop when a low growl thundered through the room in warning – it took me until my father looked at me in surprise, to realise I was the one growling.

I found I couldn’t bring myself to back down, not even under the heated gaze of my father, rising to my feet and staring Ryker down.

The warning wasn’t sufficient enough – Ryker needed to know what was at stake.

What I would do if he came near my mate again.

“If you or your Pack are seen near her again,” I found myself threatening, leaning my fists against the table. “I will personally eradicate the entire Grey Fang line, starting in Homeworld and I won’t hesitate, not for my mate.”

Ryker paled, his eyes widening with true fear as my words – my claim – settled around us, my father tensing from the rise in my aura, rivaling his own without effort.

Ryker trembled, his head tilting to expose his throat to me – submitting like the weaker Wolf he was.

Rumors had filtered through from our time in Homeworld as teenagers, ones I never confirmed or denied, but my refusal to fight outside the training ring had hinted enough that the other Alpha’s knew – though I was the ‘quiet and polite one’, it was me who had devastated thousands.

Killed thousands.

All in the name of loyalty.

For my princess? I’d do far worse.

“Heath-“ my father hesitated, his brows knitting in a moment of confusion before he glanced at Ryker, steel hardening his eyes. “You can leave.”

Ryker faltered, his eyes darting between us as he got to his feet and then bolted for the door.

The room fell silent, my dark gaze pinned on the door – on stopping myself from ending Ryker’s life right now and saving us whatever trouble he was bound to cause as the next Alpha of his Pack.

My father cleared his throat, drawing my attention to see him watching me with his hands in his suit pockets and an amused smirk on his lips.

“Your mate?” He questioned, raising a teasing eyebrow as I felt my face heat.

“Uh,” I scratched the back of my neck nervously, suddenly feeling like a pup found with his nose in the chicken coop. “Yeah, we found out last night.”

His brows rose in surprise. “We?”

I nodded, giving him a sheepish look.

My father rolled his eyes, a small smirk on his lips as he picked up the tablet, scrolling through the videos until he found what he was looking for and showed me the paused frame.

“You see what she is?” He asked, his tone light and curious, telling me he wasn’t hinting at her ranking, though I knew it had been his and our mother's reason for not encouraging any of us to pursue Ari – that and fear of repercussions if the relationship soured.

Though, his tone hinted Ari’s status an Omega meant very little anymore – not when she was our shared mate.

Something my mother had always said we’d have.

I narrowed my eyes at the image of Ariella – her Wolf was beautiful, slender but strong, her blue eyes bright against her fur and she seemed to be slightly larger than a standard Omega.

I shrugged, “She’s mated to all of us, so I’m not surprised her Wolf is larger.”

My father’s face twisted with confusion and he turned the tablet to face him for a moment, regarding the same image before he shook his head, frowning. “I thought you were the smarter of your brothers,” he sighed, turning the tablet back to me. “What colour is she, genius?”

I frowned at him, almost thinking it was Seb asking, and not the Alpha of our Pack.

I looked at the image again, leaning slightly in pointedly only to falter when it finally clicked.

My voice came out surprised and awed. “She’s a Silver Wolf.”

My father nodded, his lips pressing together as he exhaled, putting the tablet down and met my eyes, the room dropping in temperature as he spoke. “You and your brothers need to be careful,” he warned, his voice dropping low enough I knew no one would hear it outside of this room.

I bristled, my body snapping to attention as he continued.

“An Omega is sacred, especially a female. We never knew where the child came from, only that she was an Omega, their scent is unmistakable,” he reminded, my mind naturally wondering to the natural wildflower scent that mostly dominated her true scent – marshmallows. Both were intoxicating to a degree, but the sweeter scent drove something in my wild, calling to a primal part of me I kept buried and locked away.

My father’s eyes flicking to the image of Ariella, “If she’s a Silver Wolf… it means she’s Blessed.”

I narrowed my brows at him.

Blessed meant she was a part of the Moon Goddess herself – our Pack saw them as a mortal born goddess.

The primal part of me stirred at the thought, my eyes falling to the still of Ariella’s silver form.

A need to claim her – protect her and do whatever I could to keep her by my side – surged through me, tightening my chest and pants almost painfully with desire.

My skin ignited, desperate to touch her, hold her again, her presence the only thing that seemed to ebb this storm inside of me.

Suddenly, my father shook his head, muttering low to himself then as he seemed to realise something, moving to the maps he had of Pack lands and red pins that indicated recent Rogue attacks.

He looked over the dotted markers, his eyes darkening. “The attacks aren’t random,” he noted, shaking his head. “Someone else knows she’s Blessed.”

Chapter 6-1

Ariella

I stretched, feeling refreshed and oddly giddy.

My mind was a little foggy, the smell of hazelnuts pulling my attention to the enormous man asleep beside me. I blinked, almost not believing I was really lying next to Alpha Warrick, his thick, dark lashes brushing his tanned cheeks as he snoozed beside me.

His arm was slung over my waist, his fingers flexing against the bare skin of my waist where the shirt he’d put me in rode up. His touch was soft, despite the callused pads of his fingers, sending small sparks and licks of fire across my skin.

I wanted to blush, my mind replaying the lack of restraint I’d shown around him, but a part of me reveled in the smoke-like feeling that trailed across my skin, echoing his pleasuring touch.

I found myself humming, pressing into his hold and he responded by squeezing me gently, his nose burying into my neck then and a small gasp of surprise left me when his teeth grazed.

“My little mate,” he rumbled possessively, gripping me tighter and a groan left him as he muttered against my skin. “You feel perfect in my arms.”

“Alpha,” I breathed, my body arching into him instinctively and a low, disapproving growl left his throat as he kissed across mine, nipping the skin and pulling me tighter against him. “Say my name, little Wolf,” he growled, his hands pressing temptingly into my skin, urging me to obey and submit.

When I hesitated, he grabbed me, spinning me in his arms and tangled a hand into my hair, the other securing my waist and pinning our bodies together as he forced me to look up him.

His jaw was clenched tight, his darkening eyes searching my face as he leaned over me. “Say it, Ariella,” he pressed, his brows furrowing.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, seeing the pleading look in his eyes that broke something inside of me, my Wolf whining. My hands loosened from their fists and I reached out, gingerly running my fingers across Warrick’s rough jaw, his eyes fluttering closed at my touch.

The reaction sent my heart racing and I grabbed him, tangling his hair into my hand and cupped the back of his strong neck, pulling him down with all my strength, intending to kiss him.

Only, Warrick was stronger, stopping his lips just above mine, our ragged breathing mixing for a moment as I stared at him in confusion.

He grinned, charming and wicked. “Say my name and I’ll kiss you,” he bargained, my brow suddenly rising at the offer, surprise and disbelief mixing as I stared at him.

I frowned at him then, his grin widening as he knew the bond between us only caused a stance of shutting up or giving in.

I wanted to give in.

I opened my mouth to speak, only to stop when Warrick’s head snapped up, looking towards his bedroom door and I was suddenly yanked from the bed, pulled behind Warrick’s large frame as the sound of splintering wood filled the air.

I faltered in my scream when Warrick straightened, his tone casual as he spoke. “Morning, Beta Zane,” he greeted, my body moving to look around Warrick, seeing the man standing in the shattered doorway.

Beta Zane, a large man of six feet and a shining bald head, stood in the wreckage, his stormy blue eyes blazing with fury as he stared at Warrick.

“Why is my daughter in your bedroom?” He growled, his eyes flicking to me as he stepped over the destroyed door and into the room, his aura slipping.

I frowned, going to respond, only for Warrick to interject, a cocky smirk on his lips. “She wouldn’t be here if she didn’t want to be.” He stated, confident as he glanced down at me, his eyes shining with a possessiveness that made my heart race. “Would you, little wolf?”

I stammered, my eyes darting between my mate and the man I saw as my father, finding myself shaking my head.

Zane snarled, “What did you just call her, you little f**k!” He demanded, glaring at Warrick.

My Wolf howled, angry at Zane for his words – for not understanding.

Before I could scream, Warrick grabbed my chin, his hold commanding but gentle as he pulled my face up to look at him, his eyes softening as he saw the hurt in my eyes.

“He doesn’t understand, little one,” he said softly, surprising me as he leaned down, pressing his lips to my forehead, inhaling my scent as I did his when did.

I heard two familiar snarls fill the room, backed by heavy footsteps and two strong scents I could recognise anywhere.

Two angry voices filled the air.

“What’d we say about touching her, asshole?” Jackson snapped, his voice deep and timbre, sending a shiver down my spine.

Elijah growled, “Back the f**k up from her.” He demanded.

I pulled away from Warrick, intending to glare at my adoptive brothers, as they flanked their father.

They were both tall, boy-next-door looks with big blue eyes, tanned skin, chiselled features and dark golden curls. Standing just shorter than the trio and leaner framed, they were both still imposing and strong in their own rights – especially standing in their black combat gear and bite-proof jackets.

They always kept me close whenever they could but they’d been called away to deal with Rogue reports, a part of me still sad they couldn’t have been there at my Shifting.

But looking at them now, my heart raced and my mind spun, suddenly very glad they weren’t.

I finally understood their protective nature when it came to me.

My expression faltered when Elijah and Jackson's eyes locked onto mine, confirming the feeling that raged inside of me.

The twin’s faces went from anger to shock, and we exchanged stunned glances.

Elijah took a step forward, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Ari?" He whispered, his deep but soft voice trembling.

Jackson's eyes mirrored his brother's, filled with a mix of surprise and longing.

I cautiously took a step closer to them, the twins mirroring me as I reached out, tentatively touching my fingertips to theirs, their scents wrapping around me like a warm, summer-kissed hug and my Wolf sang praise that gave me a headache.

I stumbled back, Warrick catching me as I tried to retreat to some kind of understanding.

Them as well? I blanched, looking at them with wide eyes as they did me.

Beta Zane's expression fell, his eyes narrowing at his sons.

"Eli, Jack?” He clipped, his head tilting as if he knew he wouldn’t get a reply from either of them.

Both of them acting as if they’d never heard him – too busy staring at me with a mix of wonder and awe, their hands still outstretched as if they wanted to reach for me again.

Warrick placed a hand on my shoulder, my Wolf purring in satisfaction, like she finally felt complete, but the human side of me began to piece together the implications, the complications – the thought of what our mating night would even look like stole my breath and sent my mind spiraling – I started to freak out.

Eli's eyes narrowed, noticing my rapid eye movements, looking for an escape.

We'd been raised together since I was a child, he and Jack had always cared about me, but this was...

"Ari..." Elijah raised both his hands at me, his eyes softening and he crouched slightly, meeting my eye level.

I started shaking my head, Beta Zane looked at me, seeing the panic.

Instinctively, he reached out his hand for me. "Come on," I went to take it, Warrick growled, trying to stop me.

Beta Zane flared with anger, moving around me in an instant and slammed his fist into the side of Warrick’s jaw with an impressive amount of strength, sending him back into the wall.

"She's my daughter!" He shouted, enraged at Warrick's possessiveness.

Warrick, usually a mask of indifference, gave Beta Zane a guilty look, his eyes dropping in submission to an elder.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, Beta Zane, faltering for a second, only to scoff and turn away.

"You will be if you try it again, boy." He strode to me, grabbing my hand with his large rough one, setting me a look I knew well. "You, me, dad-daughter talk now."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He glared at Eli and Jack when they tried to follow. "Do either of you possess a v****a I'm unaware of?" He snapped, both the boys stopping dead in their tracks.

They blinked at their father.

He grunted, pulling me out of the room. "f*****g idiots," he muttered under his breath, slowing his pace to not continue to drag me down the hall.

I giggled, earning a side eye of warning, mixed with a small smirk from my adoptive dad.

****

I sat at the kitchen table; Reyne, my adoptive mother, was flitting around the kitchen like a tiny sparrow - she was only four foot nine, the shortest She-Wolves in our Pack...well, any Pack, actually.

Dressed in a flowing bright yellow summer dress, despite the snowstorm currently blitzing the windows and doors of the manor that we called home, she busied her hands with making cakes and pastries for the Pack kindergarten, humming kids' tunes while she worked.

I giggled over my hot chocolate.

Reyne's hands stopped mixing, her head of bright copper curls bouncing as she looked at me over the counter. "Why're you laughing at me, girlie?" She narrowed her eyes, making me giggle again.

"Did you know..." I shuffled in my seat, leaning on the table, careful not to put my elbows on it in fear of Mum-Wrath.

"You hum wheels on the bus when you're mad?"

She scowled at me. "I do not." She grumbled.

"You do, dear." Beta Zane called from the lounge room, trying to find god-knows-what since we got here half an hour ago.

He'd fallen rather quiet after I'd told him I was going to give them a chance, mostly after telling him about Heath saving me from the Grey Fang Pack members.

Reyne scowled at the doorway as if she could see her mate through the two-way door. "You'd be pissy too if your daughter didn't tell you she found her mates!" She hissed the 's', emphasising it and snaking her head to me in a way that was accusatory and ridiculous.

I blushed, giving her a guilty smile. "A lot happened in twelve hours, okay?" I raised my shoulders in innocence, pursing my lips and widening my eyes. "I'm sorry."

Her scowl faltered for a second, the motherly look of compassion and care flickering, only to shake her head and raise the whisk she was using at me.

"Don't you rope my Wolf's love for you into this, I'll still smack you." She warned, her voice trying to remain stern, but there was always that soft, loving edge when she spoke to those she saw as family.

I gave her a sheepish grin. "I was going to tell Pops today."

Beta Zane walked back into the room, carrying a thick book that looked like it was centuries old - I'd never seen it before, and that was saying something with how often I'd come home to Reyne rearranging the entire house.

She'd once set up the open loungeroom as the boy's bedroom for two months when they were eight, and I was six...just because she could - no other reason was given, and none of us questioned Mumma. Not even her mate.

He set the book in front of me. "Don't lie, kiddo." He smiled at me, placing the book down and fell into the dining chair beside me.

"What's this?" I asked, seeing the black and gold trimmed book held no title and when Reyne opened it, the wording was odd swirls and whorls, dotted and almost etched into the thick pages.

I’d seen it before, in exert text we were given from Homeworld tomes. “This is Lycan,” I voiced, my fingers reaching out to trace the words.

It was a dead language, only used by royals of Homeworld - the college did offer language courses, though it took me weeks to get approval, I was top of the class.

Zane shuffled beside me, the air thickening with a tension that drew my attention, watching as he frowned and turned a few pages. “It is,” he agreed, “Alpha Marcos told us about your Wolf.”

I echoed his frown. “My Wolf?” I repeated, remembering some of the Pack muttering about my Wolf form when Seb had carried me through the Packhouse. I rose a brow, why would the Silver Moon Alpha care?

Shrugging, I glanced up at Zane. “It’s silver, right?” I asked, realising I had no idea.

Reyne reached out, taking my hand in hers and squeezed it gently, giving me a small, understanding smile. “It is,” she confirmed, reaching then for the book between us and brought my attention to the pages – unlike the first half of the book, the end half wasn’t filled crudely drawn images and depictions of creatures I knew were called Beasts, a classification of special creatures that derived from Homeworld.

It held a mix of Lycan and common-enough English to be decipherable and well-done drawings, filled with colours.

The page beforehand depicted a human-looking woman in a flowing robe, curls of colour tinted wind winding around her body and a pointed hat perched on her wild curls. I almost laughed, knowing Witches didn’t quite look like that anymore, but the essence of their being was the same. They were Wolf-less Pack members, as rare as Omegas but their magic stronger for it to compensate for their lack of Shifting ability.

My attention was caught on the next page, the image of a large, Silve Wolf spreading across both pages, like the Witch, it was surrounded by swirls of the Moon Goddess’s magic, the wording sprawled above.

Silver Wolf – The Blessed Child.

I narrowed my eyes, my focus pinned to the words. “Blessed?” I muttered, recalling the stories Reyne would tell me as a child – they were rare.

And hunted worse than an Omega.

A cold shiver ran my spine. “Was that why my parents were killed?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Zane and Reyne tensed beside me, both turning and wrapping their arms around me, soothing me as they hugged me tightly, Zane’s rough voice muffled slightly by my hair. “We don’t know, sweetie,” he admitted, my vision fogging as tears threatened with his next words, “It’s possible someone knew, especially if you were born in Homeworld.”

I shuttered at his words. “Born in Homeworld? T-That means I’d have to go back...to find out right?” There were records of every child born, and now we knew when my birthday was, it wouldn’t be hard to find the records and confirm it.

But, doing so could mean whichever Pack I originated from could demand I be returned – it could even override a mate bond’s claim if I was from one of the other main Houses.

Reyne squeezed me, pulling me away from Zane and hugged me to her chest like she always did when I was upset. “You’re not going anywhere,” she grumbled, her voice final. “You’re a Silver Moon Pack member, even Alpha Marcos has stated so,” that soothed a part of my panic until she leaned back then, giving me a bright, teasing smile and added, “Especially since you’re not only Eli and Jack’s mate, but also his own sons.” She beamed, looking like she’d won first place at the Pack bake-off.

My eyes widened in realisation, getting up quickly and bolting for the door, reaching it in an instant, almost forgetting how quickly I could move now I had my Wolf.

"Where's the fire?" Reyne called as I threw on Sebastian's sweater.

"We left them alone!" I squeaked. "What if they're killing each other?"

Zane laughed, stepping behind me. "Trust me, we'd have heard about it."

I scowled at him, yanking the door open and headed to the car, ignoring him and Mumma laughing at me being panicked.