DYLAN ||

Thanks Dylan, I appreciate the kind words. You've done a great job with the decoration of these cells...

Raiden was upset with me, there's no doubt about that, but his words kept playing in my head the whole way back to the packhouse.

Thanks Dylan, I appreciate the kind words. You've done a great job with the decoration of these cells...

His words.. FUCK.

I appreciate the kind words..

You've done a great job..

Raiden wouldn't know just how much his words affected me, even if he was being an asshole at the time when he said them. I didn't expect him to be happy with me, shit I wasn't happy with me. I didn't enjoy watching him fight my pack members, I didn't enjoy smelling his fear that filled the air around me, suffocating me in its grasp.

I really didn't enjoy having to use our bond against him. He felt right, perfect in my arms like that. At that moment I loved that we were the same height because I couldn't help inhaling his scent when he leaned back into me. He dropped all of his walls and submitted to the feeling of me being around me. I calmed him, he trusted me enough to forget what was happening around him.

The orgasmic feeling that rushed through me while I held him was enough to almost make me forget about this stupid plan, but before I could call it off, Hunter injected him with the numbing agent. To feel how much he panicked after that, it was a lot. He was calling out for me to help me, even though I could tell he felt betrayed by me.

He was calling out for his leopard.

That part really got to me, I wouldn't know what I would do if someone took Maddox from me. My wolf may be a complete asswipe, but he's mine and he's apart of me. I would have freaked out way more than Raiden did. I mean he couldn't do much with feeling numb, but he didn't even curse me out or scream at me. He never yelled at me or rejected me. He just accepted what was and allowed everything to happen after that.

I couldn't stop anything, I didn't stop anything. To make everything worse, my father and uncle were there during Raiden's takeover. I called our bond a "predicament"... I couldn't tell anyone else about us, the pack wouldn't accept this after what he's done. My father and uncle definitely wouldn't have accepted this.

For one, I'm the damn Alpha and I'm mated to a man and secondly my mate is the reason that we've been getting attacked by the rogues in the area. There's just no way anyone in my pack would be comfortable with this. I could be subjected to punishment from the Council if I was reported for not punishing Raiden after the information I received. I could be demoted, they could take my Alpha rank away from me. I would be forced to watch someone else run my pack.

No.. I couldn't let anyone else know about this.

The guilt of my actions, however, was eating me alive when my warriors took Raiden to the cells. I walked away with my dad after taking a quick glance at Raiden's broken form.

He looked so..... hurt.

"Dad, you and Uncle Jake go ahead, I'll be back in a minute." That was all I told them when I walked away from the packhouse without waiting for their response. I needed to calm my damn nerves and go see that stupid leopard. Maddox was driving me crazy with his rolling anger about how I treated our mate and I would be lying if I said I didn't care.

This stupid bond.

The moment I opened the door to the cells, his mouthwatering scent hit me. My canines elongated almost instantly and I swear I was hard as a rock just from breathing him in.

A damn man..

I ended up interjecting in his conversation with Gabe and Hunter after that. I didn't mean to come off so damn rude, but I couldn't help it. The anger and the guilt that I was feeling from my own actions, how Maddox was upset with me and how much I hated being mated to a man all got to me and I took it all out on Raiden in that moment and I continued to belittle him by calling myself his Alpha and forcing him to look at me when he clearly was hurting.

What the hell is wrong with me?

The words he said after my nonsense though was what had my heart pounding a little harder, little flutters settled in my stomach and caused a sudden rush of feeling light headed.

Thanks Dylan, I appreciate the kind words. You've done a great job with the decoration of these cells...

He said he appreciated me.

He said I've done a great job..

I didn't care the context behind his words, all I could hear were his words of affirmation. He appreciated me and he thought I did a great job. Not a good job, no he said GREAT job.

My head was spinning so fast, I felt my whole body tense from those words that I so desperately wanted to hear more of. I had to get the hell out of there before I ended his punishment right then and there and forced him to come to the packhouse with me, to stay by my side and continue to shower me with the words I've been waiting to hear from someone, anyone.

Raiden gave that to me.. subconsciously, he just made my heart call out to him. He didn't even know what he was doing or how his words would affect me, but they did never the less. It's only been 2 days and my heart is already beating differently for him because of it.

I blame this damn bond and the Moon Goddess and whoever the God or Goddess is for felines. Mostly I blame Raiden, with his gorgeous face and his stupid sweetness. Even through his anger, he's sweet. I can't stand it!

That stupid leopard man.

"Give your mate a chance my child. He is everything that you need."

Great... now I'm going crazy. Not only am I arguing with myself, but now I'm hearing my mom's voice and she sounds way too angelic at this moment.

"Not now mom." I respond through the link, hoping she heard me, but when I don't get a reply, I just shrug it off and continue my self pity party.

Everything about this sucks.

If the Moon Goddess just would have given me a mate that made sense, none of this would have happened. I wouldn't still feel unloved, I wouldn't still be searching for something that I'll never have obviously and I wouldn't feel so damn guilty and confused about being attracted to a man and having to punish that man in a way that only further pressed that stupid guilty emotion.

I hate feeling guilty, almost as much as I hate this stupid crippling issue of mine. The same one if anyone knew about, I would for sure be challenged for my position and I would no longer be respected as Alpha Dylan Harris, leader of the largest and strongest pack on the west coast. No.. if this were to get out, I would be known as a weakling, not fit to be an Alpha or at the most, not fit to lead.

Walking into the packhouse, I see my parents, my uncle Jake, his mate Sophie, my cousins Theo and Kaylie, my younger brother, Garrett and Gabe's mate, Avery in the livingroom while our housekeeper, Angie was in the kitchen preparing what looked to be lunch.

"Son. How's the prisoner?" My dad asked, making me scrunch my face up at his choice of words for my mate.

The man he didn't know about, none of them did. Geez.. Not to mention that I actually called Raiden "the prisoner" earlier. Yeah I'm a douche.

"His name is Raiden and he's content." I answer truthfully, not really meaning to give my family his name, but it slipped so oh well.

"Raiden?" Uncle Jake asks and I nod before going into the kitchen to stare at Angie. Maybe if I creep her out, it would help distract me from the damn pull of this bond screaming at me to haul my ass back to those cells and hold my mate again.

"Are you going to question him about what he's done?" My dad asks and I shake my head.

"Already did. He said he didn't do it intentionally, that the rogue wolves he killed attacked him first and he was just defending himself. He said he didn't know the forest by the stone waterfall was apart of our pack because there were no scents claiming the area and we have no gates surrounding our borders." I explain, believing Raiden's words more as the seconds ticked by.

He's right. We don't have gated borders, so how would a drifter know that was apart of my territory? And he's right about rogues. They are vicious, blood crazed beasts, more animal than human once they turn completely. I wouldn't hesitate in killing any that attacked me.

Ugh..

I sit at the kitchen island as I watch Angie stir whatever was in the pot on the stove. The packhouse door opened a few seconds later as Gabe and Hunter walked in. Avery practically flew off the couch and into his mates arms. Gabe caught Avery as he wrapped his legs around Gabe's waist and his arms around Gabe's neck. Then if to make matters worse for those of us that are unmated or mated but conflicted like my dumb ass, Gabe and Avery share a damn kiss.

Happy fuckers.

Angie served lunch maybe 30 minutes after the happy display over there in the livingroom. I stayed in my seat at the kitchen island as I ate the beef stew and toast Angie set in front of me.

"Enjoy darling." She said with a smile.

"Thanks Angie." My response came off way more dry than I intended it to.

After lunch, the family including Gabe, Hunter and Avery because they are my family as well, went into the theater room. My little brother Garrett ended up choosing some romance/comedy movie from Netflix and I literally felt the throw up catch in my throat.

That was all I needed right now, was a damn romance/comedy while I'm having a full blown internal crisis about my whole romantic situation.

The movie played, I swear it did. I was watching it, but I couldn't focus on anything that was happening. Instead my mind was focused on that damn dangerously handsome mate of mine. I kept wondering how he was doing, if the warriors had brought him the food they picked up from Angie earlier. If he was comfortable enough in that cell. Ugh.. of course he's not. It's a steel bar cell with only a toilet in the corner, sink next to that and one metal framed bed.

We didn't even give him a mat or blankets or anything. I looked up to see it was starting to get dark. Would he be cold down there? Duh Dylan.. it's freezing down there at night. There's no heaters, we only had on a pair of jeans, a t shirt and sneakers when we took him down there.

I wondered if that was all the belongings that he owned. Yesterday I met him when he was stark naked. Then today he was so well put together, I didn't even notice earlier. He looked great, he was so happy to see me and talk to me. His eyes were so fucking beautiful and full of innocence. Not like he doesn't know much about the world, but like his heart was made of gold and he wouldn't hurt anyone unless he felt threatened.

My mind wandered back to the damn rogue wolves he killed. I didn't really give a shit about them, I only cared because their bodies were on my territory and their damn rogue pack was attacking mine because of it. Well I assumed that was the reason why.

"He could be telling the truth Dylan." Maddox whispered, slowing wagging his tail. I nod to him in understanding as I took a deep breath than stood up from the couch.

"Where are you going sweetheart?" My mom asked.

"To give Raiden a blanket and pillow maybe. Just because he's our prisoner doesn't mean that we can't make him comfortable. He didn't technically do anything wrong to us directly." I explain as I caught Gabe, Avery and Hunter watching me.

I subtly nod to them then turn around and head to the linen closet before walking back to the cells with a pillow and blanket in hand.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, I thought Raiden may be sleep or something and I didn't want to wake him. My body froze when I heard his voice though.

He was reciting poetry.. I think..

Moving closer to his cell, I perked my ears up to listen carefully.

There's just something about you my Alpha wolf.

Your bright blue eyes remind me of the ocean sea, a beautiful never ending crash to the shore at my feet.

I can see through your fear of this leopard, but trust me when I say that I won't hurt you like most, unlike what you've been told.

I can see the fear in your eyes, the confusion, the want to accept this but the conflict of both us being men. I'm sure it took you by surprise.

Hear me when I say that I want nothing more than to shower you with the love I can feel that you're so desperately looking for.

Dylan, my Alpha wolf, my beauty.. give me a chance and I'll make you the happiest man on Earth. I'll be the best mate for you as that's my duty.

Then he took a deep breath and I followed. Slowly making my way to his cell, I clenched my jaw to keep the tears that decided to take refuge in my damn eyeballs from falling.

"Dylan? I know you're there and I forgive you."

His voice hit me again and I swear my chest tightened at his unsuspecting words. I let out a heavy sigh that this dang bond was winning against my own wants.

"Give your mate a chance my child. He is everything you need."

There's my damn mom again, but how did she know about my bond with Raiden? I never told her and I'm sure Gabe, Avery or Huber didn't. Actually maybe Avery did, he's not exactly the best at keeping secrets. The little loud mouthed Omega.. That was the only logical explanation to this, he told her and she's trying to convince me of keeping this bond.

I thought she would be upset about it, I mean I can't give her grandpups with a male mate, yet this is the second time today that she's spoken to me about accepting this bond.

"Please don't tell anyone else mom." I whisper back to her through our link and then open the cell door to see my mate sitting on the ground watching me carefully.

This was so awkward, the silence that filled the cell was deafening. I set the blanket and pillow down on the metal framed bed before walking out the cell and closing it behind me. I walk to the storage closet down here and grab a mat out to bring it back to the cell for Raiden.

After I set everything up on the metal framed bed, I avoid his eyes as I make my way back out the cell.

"Thank you my blue eyed beauty. I appreciate you. I knew I could count on you." I heard Raiden whisper his last words before I felt my heart skip a beat as I rushed out of the cells.

Closing the door behind me after I climbed the stairs to come back to the world above, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding.

Thank you my blue eyed beauty.

I appreciate you..

I knew I could count on you

He did it again.

He said thank you.

He said he appreciated me.

He said he could count on me... Nobody and I mean nobody has ever said that to me before. I guess my pack just assumed they could because I'm the Alpha and it's my duty to protect and provide for them, but to hear someone actually say they know they could count on me..

Damn it.. My heart.

This bond, that leopard, they're winning.

I make my way back to the packhouse as darkness falls over my lands quickly and I rush to my bedroom to hop in the shower. Making sure to add my coverings before I let the cold water rush over me as it offered the perfect amount of chilly crisp that I needed to debate this burning desire I have coursing through my veins to go to my mate right now.

Fuck.. if his words weren't perfect.

The cold shower seemed to calm me enough to feel comfortable with getting out and trusting myself enough not to go to Raiden right now. Stepping out, I dry off before removing my coverings and head to my bed.

Before letting my body sink into the bed, I slowly and carefully remove the bane of my existence, setting them on the nightstand next to me.

At least they were small and could be hidden with ease.

Looking at them just reminded me how weak I actually was. An Alpha wolf with a crippling disability, it's a joke really.

Every other aspect I excelled in, but not this one. This would be with me for the rest of my life, something that happened in the womb, something that never formed correctly, something that not even Maddox can heal because it was a pre existing condition and he can't heal what's literally not there.

"You're perfect Dylan. I don't need to heal this part about you dude."

His words offered some form of comfort as I stared at the reason I'd never truly feel as confident as I should.

My fucking hearing aids.

Yeah.. that's my worst imperfection.

Being a partially deaf Alpha.

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