Avenging Nina (hiatus)

Chapter 2: He saw her

Ryan watched Nina playing in a field on his pack's border. He immediately realized that she is his mate. He was 19 and ready to experience love for the first time. Before he could approach her he saw a rouge come at her and attack her. Ryan jumped in and killed the rouge. He turned to look for Nina but she was gone. She had disappeared.

A few days later Ryan received a letter of war. "For crimes committed against the innocent" it read. Ryan didn't know why the neighboring pack was wanting war but he decided it would make for an interesting first meeting with his mate.

When they meet for battle a month later Ryan is looking for Nina on the other side, expecting her to be there with the other warriors. Once he had figured out who the beautiful girl with a white wolf was he became obsessed. He knew she was a warrior in her pack and only welcomed the fight in hopes of meeting her and stopping everything before it got bad. When she did not appear Ryan yelled across the field and said "Where is she? Where is Nina, daughter of Alpha Charles?" The enemy looked confused and then angry, growling at the mention of their pack member. A large grey wolf walked ahead dead center and growled. "Why do you know my daughter? Are you the one who did it? Did you hurt her?!" Ryan was taken aback, someone had hurt Nina? Ryan growled "No! I would never hurt Nina!" The grey wolf shifted back into human form. His beta tossed him a pair of pants. Ryan did the same out of respect. He shifted from his red wolf to his human. Beta Tim threw him a pair of shorts. The two alphas approached one another with caution in the center of the battlefield.

Charles thought to himself that Ryan looked genuine in his responses. Ryan bowed to show respect to the older alpha and Charles did the same. The two men approached and Charles spoke first. "What do you know of my daughter? Do you know who attacked her?" Ryan said no and asked for details. He prayed to the moon goddess that his mate was not dead. Charles sighed and said "she was attacked four weeks ago. She was alone out for a run when someone crossed the border. He and another chased her. One was killed by a strange wolf and the other pursued my daughter. She is usually a strong fighter but something had distracted her and lowered her guard. He chased her into the woods, slashed at her eyes, and beat her so badly that she became weak enough to shift to her human form...." He trailed off for a moment, tears in his eyes. "Did something else happen?" Ryan asked, anxious. "Is she dead?" Ryan's wolf whimpered at the very thought. Charles shook his head, "No, she is not dead." Ryan sighed out of relief. Charles choked back tears as he said "The brute raped my daughter and left her to die in the dirt." Shockwaves ran through Ryan's body. Raped? His mate had been raped and left to die? He felt his stomach turn as if he may vomit. "Where is she? Where is Nina? I want to see her!" Charles looked at Ryan with suspicious eyes. "Why? Why do you want to see my girl after everything I have told you? How could you possibly know her?" Ryan shook his head, tears in his eyes, "All I know is that Nina is my mate. And I will not tolerate abuse against my Luna." He shifted again in anger and howled loudly. Both packs followed his lead and howled as well. Ryan mindlinked the human Charles and told him to take him to Nina.

The packs called a truce. Charles took Ryan and his beta Tim to his pack house. He showed them up to the third floor. "This floor is for my family and the beta family only," he said. He went to a door on the left and knocked gently. "Nina, sweetie, are you decent?" To Ryan's surprise a nurse answered the door. "She is decent, Alpha. She has been especially anxious today. I am glad you are back." Charles nodded and told the nurse to inform Nina she had guests. Ryan was surprised by the nurse's mention of anxiety. The Nina he had heard about was a very free spirit who worried over nothing. She was one of the most confident warriors their pack had.

Charles left the two men in the hall while he checked on his daughter, informing her what he had learned and what had taken place.

"So Alpha Ryan's pack did not attack me?" Charles shook his head, a gesture of habit, and said he did not think it was them. Then he told her that Alpha Ryan wanted to meet her. "Why?" She asked. Her father hesitated but then admitted "He claims to be your mate." Nina's expression changed from curiosity to anguish, and she began to cry. "No, no, no mate!" She curled up in a ball, tears streaming from her eyes. Charles cradled his daughter, comforting her. Moments later Ryan bursted into the room, unable to ignore his mate's scent or sobbing any longer. He ran to her and attempted to scoop her out of her father's arms. He had not even introduced himself yet and he was already acting possessively. She cried and screamed but she did not fight, unable to see who or what was pulling at her limbs. She could only smell mint and it sent her into an anxiety attack.

Ryan had expected her to jump into his arms with little hesitation. He looked at her face and was shocked: her silver eyes were blank, empty. She was blind. He held her closer to him and finally she fought back. She bit his arm. He yelped and Nina was snatched back by her father. "What were you thinking?" He asked the younger alpha. "My daughter was attacked! They blinded her! Did you think you could swoop in and take her and she would be okay with it?" Ryan nodded, embarrassed. He did in fact think he could swoop in and steal Nina away because of the mate bond. He had seen it countless times.

After Charles and the nurse had calmed Nina they tried to send the men away but a voice from Nina's bed said she wanted to meet with Ryan alone. Charles was anxious to leave them without supervision but he was also weak to his only child's request. Once they were alone Ryan tried to hug his mate but she stopped him, throwing her hand up in between their bodies. "Yield!" She had a strong voice compared to earlier. He stopped and waited with anticipation. She took a step toward him and said "Be still and let me see you." He stared, how could she see him if she was blind? Suddenly she reached out and her hands cupped his cheeks. Sparks instantly flowed through both of their bodies. Her fingers traced along his cheek, jaw, nose, and eyes. She smiled, "You're very handsome." Ryan raised his eyebrows. He was amazed at her words while his wolf was jumping for joy. Not only was his mate touching him, she was smiling and complimenting him. Ryan wanted to feel Nina too and reached out to touch her face. She pulled back and grabbed his hand, sensing the attempt to enter her personal space. "After what you did you will do things our way!" Ryan was shocked. Where did the attitude change come from? And suddenly he realized her silver eyes had turned black. He was with her wolf, not Nina. "Nina is frightened of you, of men," she hissed. Ryan begged the beautiful black-eyed wolf to bring Nina back but she shook her head and said "No, not yet. She is afraid. You need to prove to us you are a worthy mate." Ryan nodded, "How?" She looked very serious as she said, "Find the monster that did this..." And pointed at her eyes, which  were scarred internally and externally. "Nina was always strong and beautiful but that scum stole our sight and virginity. She will never see your face or your children because of what he did. She will however have to smell you for the rest of her life knowing she had smelled you right before it happened." Ryan felt his blood pressure rise, realizing she meant she knew he was there the day that the attack happened. She continued, "You should hunt him down and kill him. You should steal his life like he stole Nina's innocence." Ryan took it all in and then nodded. "I will avenge my mate." The beautiful wolf nodded "That's what I like to hear. As a treat I will allow you to talk to Nina. She has been awake this whole time listening. She is intrigued by you." Suddenly the she-wolf's presence disappeared and Nina's silver eyes were visible again. Ryan hesitated to speak. He was feeling many emotions: love, compassion, guilt, sorrow, and anger. He needed to get revenge and prove himself to his mate.

"I am Nina. My wolf says I can trust you. What is your name again?" She asked, shyly. Ryan felt his heart speed up. "I am Alpha Ryan, I am your mate." Nina's head hung down. "I don't think you'll want me for a mate." Ryan took her hand which she did not pull away. "I will always want my mate. I have wanted you since the moment I saw you." Nina smiled "I hope one day I can believe in that but right now you are a stranger to me. I have heard stories of mates falling in love the moment they meet but for me right now my wolf Nera has control of my heart and she is telling me to wait for you to prove you are better than the monster who did this." Her fingers traced the scar across her eyes and then her heart. Ryan squeezed her hand, determined to prove himself.

Suddenly Nina whimpered and leaned her head against his chest. Ryan stiffened, unsure what to do. Until he had seen her a month ago he had never given love or mates much thought. He was a busy ambitious alpha. "What's wrong?" He asked. She clung to him and said, "Let me just have this one moment of normalcy. Up until the attack I'd dreamt of meeting my mate and what it would be like to hold him and have him hold me, love me." He wrapped his arms around her, warming her and bringing her anxious state some relief. Her wolf purred and so did his. She sank into his chest and he kissed her hair. "I will make it up to you, I promise," he said. She shivered, "Make up what to me?" Nina herself was not completely aware of what had happened that day, that Ryan had seen her. She thought she had imagined the sweet smell of lavender and mint. She was smelling it again on him and she suddenly found his scent intoxicating. He brought her in tighter and said, "I failed at finding you sooner and claiming you. I will make it right by any means necessary." She clung to him and then loosened her grip on him. "I appreciate that. I know it's what Nera wants but I don't know if I even want you to leave. I can't see you but I can feel your warmth. You're not cruel like some males." She cupped his cheek and allowed him to caress hers as well. Ryan could see the bond already forming, though more gradual and slower than he expected.

"I'm determined to make you and your wolf feel safe. I will not be satisfied until I have proven myself," he stated. Nina smiled and a warm tear rolled down her cheek. "Are you sure I'm worth the trouble?" Ryan took her back into his arms and declared his love and promised to show her how much he valued her. "I will show the world that you are worth every effort and sacrifice." Nina planted a small kiss on his cheek and said, "I will be waiting patiently." She blushed as she said, "I always have been." Ryan blushed and kissed her forehead. "I will make you proud."