DYLAN ||

It's officially been 12 days since I found out Raiden was my mate and since I've put him in those fucking cells. To say I've been going crazy is a serious understatement.

Everything in me has been screaming for the damn leopard and I hate to love it. I love that I found my mate, I love that my mate seems caring and unconsciously loving, but I hate the fact that he's a man, I hate that he's stronger than me, I hate that I'm attracted to him, I hate that he's so damn gorgeous, I hate myself for wanting him this way.

What the hell was the Moon Goddess thinking?!

Currently I'm sitting in my office trying to drown out my inner conflicting feelings about my mate. I'm really trying my hardest not to go down there and see him again.

I've been sending my brother Garrett and cousin Theo to bring him food and water everyday. I just can't stomach seeing him in that depressing state because I know he has to be punished for what he's done.

This morning, both Theo and Garrett were busy so I had to bring Raiden's food and water. Just seeing him the way I did, I literally almost threw up. He looked so damaged, I couldn't do it and I ended up rushing out of there after giving him the food and water.

I was thankful that my dad reached out to the Council and they told him that the appropriate amount of time to keep him locked up would be 2 weeks so thank the Goddess that we're almost there.

The Council gave me a direct order to get gates around my border in the next week. They said the things he's done don't necessarily warrant death, so they gave me the option to either set Raiden free in an area furthest away from all pack territories in the state or to bring him to the Council and they would determine an appropriate solution.

Neither of which I'm comfortable with doing. I'm not taking my mate to the Council so they could decide whatever they want to do with him and I'm definitely not setting him free somewhere else.

The way the bond is pulling me to him and he's less than a mile away from me on my lands is nauseating. So I can only imagine how hard it would be if he was even further.

I swear if rejecting him wouldn't weaken Maddox and I, there would have been no hesitation in doing so.

I'm sure the Moon Goddess would have granted me a second chance mate, but due to the fact that I'm already considered a fucking weakling because of this crippling disability, I can't bring myself to reject Raiden.

I can't cause any further harm to myself or Maddox. Who by the way has been annoyingly quiet this past week. I never thought I would miss hearing the jerk's voice, but I really do. It just reminds me of how lonely and terrifying that silence can actually be.

Silence

The word I've come to hate and fear more than anything else. Without my damn hearing aids, I can barely hear anything. The pack doctors have done all that they could. No matter how many surgeries or repairs or whatever the hell else gets done, my hearing never seems to get better unless I'm wearing the stupid devices.

I'm starting to think the Moon Goddess wants me to live with this disability for the rest of my life and we all know when she wants something, it happens and there's nothing you can do about it.

My hearing aids, thankfully are super small and discreet. You really can't see them unless you're extremely close to me and looking hard enough in my ears, which I don't see why someone would be. I don't let anyone that close to me to be able to do that anyways.

Ugh.. I'm not even sure how the pack would react to their Alpha being hearing impaired. I mean one of the main things that helps me be the Alpha my pack needs is my hearing. If I didn't have my hearing aids, I would barely be able to hear anything.

It's like I can feel the vibrations of someone speaking, but I literally can't hear the words, I only get this annoying ass static noise and sometimes a ringing noise in my ears. It's so damn crippling.

I can't protect my pack without my hearing. I can't fight, I can't hear what's behind me or what anyone says unless they're communicating through the link, I can't command anyone because I'm not sure how loud or quiet my voice is at the moment, I can't give orders.... I can't lead.

The whole thing is terrifying.

"Alpha?" I heard Hunter's voice through the link and thankfully because it pulled me out of those debilitating thoughts of my future with this crap.

"Yes Hunter, any updates?"

"Ummm.. yes, but I'm not sure what you're going to think when you learn what they are."

"What is it Hunter?"

"We weren't able to complete the mission Alpha."

"What?! Why not?!" I yell.

"I would rather tell you in person Alpha, we're almost back in pack lands."

"This better be good Hunter or I swear I will rip your throat out!" I yelled again before cutting the link.

DAMN IT!

I sent my Beta and Gamma on a very important assignment about 10 days ago. They were supposed to be scouting out the closest rogue camps and finding out any information that would be useful. Like the camps position, location, how many fucking rogues we're dealing with, what their training is like, ANYTHING!

They were supposed to find out anything they could, but these fuckers actually cut the assignment short and now are on their way back to the pack? Seriously?!

For them to take it into their own hands and end such an important assignment trusted to them is pissing me off even further.

I storm out of my office to go downstairs and wait outside for the damn wolves I had the nerve to call my Beta and Gamma. After passing my family in the livingroom, I make them aware of what's going on and they join me outside.

It didn't take very long before I could smell my warriors returning. As soon as they were in my eyesight, I started to walk over to them, but I was stopped by my father grabbing my arm.

"Calm yourself son. Don't make a spectacle in front of so many pack members. It's your duty to be the voice of reason and you must hear your men out first before you go all Dylan on them."

I couldn't help but chuckle at my fathers words. I definitely had a tendency to go "all Dylan" on people. My patience, or lack there of wasn't my best trait.

There was an odd feeling in the air, well more like an off putting feeling. I watched closely as my men slowly came out the tree lines. I seen a few of my warriors dragging something behind them.

Once they were close enough, I took a step forward to see a man on the tarp. His leg had been wrapped, but I could see the blood that stained his bandages. His lower body was barely covered by a blanket and his eyes were closed.

"Alpha." My men greet me and I nod in response before looking back at the man they were dragging.

"Who the hell is that?" I ask, pointing at the man on the tarp.

"His name is Roman." Hunter answered, I heard his heart rate pick up just at the mention of the man's name. I narrowed my eyes at him and gestured for him to continue speaking.

"H-He's m-my mate."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting in the hospital room with Gabe, Avery, Hunter and the rest of my family, I watched the man Hunter said was his mate laying on the hospital bed, slowly breathing.

The doctors said his wound would be completely healed in a few days. He had silver poisoning, that alone made me interested to know more about where he come from and what happened to him.

Hunter was standing next to the man's hospital bed, gently stroking his mates face. The sight made my heart sting a little.

"Hunter?" I ask as he gives me his attention.

"What happened? How did you find your mate?" I ask and Hunter smiles brightly, clearly remembering the moment he laid eyes on his other half.

"It was day 6 of the mission Alpha. We had learned some vital information about that rogue camp. None of the wolves in that camp had became a full version of what a rogue can be, they still held majority of their humanity."

"We found out who their leader was and we were planning on making him a surprise visit. We took a different path that morning because we wanted to throw any neighboring rogues off to our scents, but the path we took just to happened to lead us deeper into the woods..." Hunter explained looking back at his mate and smiled.

"I felt the pull first, it was strong. Crazy strong and Kai told me to follow it. To trust it and I did... I found Roman in his true form stuck in what had to be a human trap. He growled at me at first, but stopped immediately after our eyes locked. I knew he could feel it too, I've never felt so happy and so in love at the same time. It was crazy.." Hunter said now gently stroking his mates hand.

"He shifted back and there he was in all his damn glory. He was beautiful and he was all mine... we figured out how to get him out of the trap he was stuck in with a lot of help from the bolt cutters and tarps we brought so we wouldn't touch the silver on the stupid thing."

"Roman screamed the whole time, but my touch seemed to calm him down a little bit. I remember the moment I thought he was going to pass out from the pain and he grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me to him. He kissed me, like nobody else was around, like nothing else mattered and his pain didn't matter. He just wanted my touch, he just wanted me."

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat from his words, not because Hunter and Roman are mates, but because their love was so strong their very first interaction. I wanted that.. I wanted that to be the moment with my mate..

I wanted that as the memory I would always cherish.

"I'm sorry we cut the mission short Alpha, but I had to get Roman back to the pack. He was hurt badly and there wasn't much any of us could do. None of us are doctors or medically trained. We stayed for an extra 2 days out there to wait until Roman was strong enough to travel, but he never got any better."

"He wasn't healing like he should. So I made the decision to leave with Gabe's help and it took us these last 2 days to get back here. I didn't know Rome had silver poisoning but thank Goddess that I found him when I did and we were able to get him back here alive... Thank Goddess." Hunter finished, whispering his last words like they were his lifeline.

I got out of my seat to walk over to him after that. Placing a hand on his shoulder to offer my support.

"I'm happy that you've found your mate Hunter and the information you all were able to get will help in any further missions." I said looking down at Roman, sleeping peacefully on the bed.

"He's abnormally large for a wolf." I laughed thinking about how he and Hunter would match. I mean Hunter isn't small, he and Gabe both stood at 6'1 while I was 6'3 and my stupid leopard was 6'4.

I don't even know why I had to list his height. I hate that he's even an inch taller than me.

"He's not a wolf, Alpha." Hunter laughed back.

"What the hell is he then?" I smiled as Hunter leaned down to place a soft kiss to his mates forehead.

"He's a Lion."

Oh you have got to be kidding me!

_____________________________

I was now pacing angrily in the pack hospital lobby at this point, trying everything in my power not to lose my shit.

"Hunter, your mate is a damn feline shifter!" I yell continuing my pacing.

"Alpha, calm down." Gabe said and I glared at him.

"Calm down? Calm down? This can't happen Gabe! We can't have two feline shifters in the fucking pack! This is a nightmare!"

"Come on Alpha, it's not that bad. My mate isn't like your-" Hunter started and with one look from me, he promptly shut the fuck up.

I looked around the lobby quietly before I continued my pacing.

"Alpha, I know you're freaking out because of your bond with Raiden, but Roman isn't like him. I swear." Hunter pleaded through the link.

"You don't fucking know that! You just met the behemoth! He could for all you know be a murderer worse than my fucking mate!"

"I don't care about his past Alpha and I won't let you force him to leave." Hunter snarled and I snapped my head to look at him again. Stalking towards him until our chests were touching.

"What the fuck did you just say to me? You better mind your tongue Hunter and don't forget who you're talking to." I growled, forcing out enough of my aura to make Hunter whimper and quickly bare his neck to me in submission.

I looked at him from head to toe then and nodded in approval. His submission resting the urge to ripe his throat out from his blatant disrespect.

"Alpha." Gabe called out to me and I looked at him.

"You can't exactly kick the Lion out now that he's mated to Hunter. That would mean Hunter would leave too." Gabe explained and I scoffed as we no longer were speaking through the link.

"Do we even know anything about these feline shifters? What if Roman being a male Lion means that he won't mesh well with pack life? What if he wants to lead? What if his instincts take over and he challenges Dylan for his position?" My dad asked pulling all of my attention to him now. He had a damn good point.

"Well, I don't really know about that." Hunter said, now looking as if he was contemplating his bond.

"We need to figure this out and quick then because we won't allow an outsider to come into our pack and try to take away a position that is my brothers birth right!" My brother, Garrett said and I smiled at him.

"Damn right, this is a lot to swallow. First the leopard with all the chaos he's caused and now a Lion with a background we know nothing about? I mean why is he even by himself? Don't lions have packs of their own?" My uncle Jake asks.

"Oh all of this is giving me such a headache." My mother said, causing my smile to grow wider. She's so dramatic I swear. Maybe that's where I get it from.. Hahaha.

"I can ask him all of this the moment he wakes up, I promise. We will get all of the information from him then." Hunter promises and I nod in agreement.

"I guess that's the best we can hope for, we can't exactly get the answers we want while the giant feline is unconscious." I laughed as did everyone else, well everyone except Hunter. He was busy glaring at me.

What I wasn't expecting was that it would take two days for the damn Lion to wake up.

I was waiting in his hospital room along with Hunter of course, Gabe, Avery, my cousin Theo, my brother Garrett, my father, uncle Jake and my mother. Aunty and my sweet girly cousin decided to stay back home, which I didn't mind. I would prefer no women be here anyways, I couldn't exactly stop my mother but if I could, she wouldn't be here either.

Hunter was busy fussing over his mate while the nurses changed his bandages for the millionth time because according to Hunter, Roman can't have a speck of blood on him. Apparently his blood was dirty as soon as it left his body and it shouldn't be sitting on his skin.

I've never seen Hunter this anxious and fussy over something so trivial, but it was entertaining to watch him baby such a large male compared to himself.

Roman just silently watched Hunter with a huge smile on his face.

The man looked oddly familiar, like someone I've seen before but I couldn't quite place it. Maybe it was just his aura, it was strong.

He had tanned skin just like Raiden, but he didn't have Raiden's long black hair and amber colored eyes. Roman's eyes were a shade of brown, almost like hazelnut, his hair was like a dirty blonde color and it hung a little bit past his shoulders just like my mates, but the difference between them was Raiden wore his in a bun on top of his head and Roman let his hang freely.

He had a strong jawline and strong features like Raiden, but no stubble like my mate. No Roman didn't have any facial hair, but that didn't take away from the fact that the man was dangerously handsome.

These damn felines man.. they're like instant panty droppers. The shewolves and gay wolves in my pack are going to be drooling all over them.

"Thank you nurse. I'll call you if he needs anything else." Hunter said turning his attention back to his mate.

"Of course Gamma, please let us know if you need anything at all." The nurse says looking at me with a look that said "seriously he's crazy."

I laughed at her expression as she left the room.

"I'm really glad that you're awake Rome." Hunter said smiling down at his mate.

"I'm really glad to see that beautiful face again Hunter." Roman smiled back at his mate, while I noticed an annoyingly familiar blush creep up on Hunter's face as he looked away from Roman.

I hope I didn't look that dumb when I blushed at Raiden that first day.

"My son, the Alpha here, has a few questions." My father was the first to speak up and I looked at him before looking back at Hunter and Roman.

"What kind of questions?" Roman asked, a threatening bass to his voice and a snarl behind his words.

"About your species." I said with as much snarl behind my words that I could muster.

"Oh yeah? About the fact that we're superior or?" He asked, clearly challenging me by looking too long into my eyes.

"You're clearly not the superior species, Feline." I spit at him and all he did was raise his eyebrow before looking back at Hunter and pulling him onto the bed with him.

"Who is this clown, baby?" He asked and Hunter's eyes widen before he looked back at me. I wasn't sure if he was shocked that Roman called him baby so openly or if he was scared about the fact that Roman just called me a clown.

A form of disrespect I wouldn't be taking lightly, whether he was my Gamma's mate or not.

"R-Roman, that's my Alpha. You can't call him a clown.. You're being disrespectful." Hunter growled quietly at his mate.

"Well he's not my Alpha, beautiful.. So I don't really care about disrespecting him. Especially since he's been keeping you from me."

"Keeping him from you?!" I growled dangerously loud as I shot up from my chair and walked over to the side of Roman's hospital bed.

Hunter jumped off the bed and blocked me from grabbing his mate.

"Please Dylan, I'm sure he didn't mean it. I'm not sure what he's talking about. You haven't kept me from him.."

"THAT'S A LIE!" Roman roared cutting him off and the whole room grew eerily quiet.

Shit.. I don't like how strong these damn felines are!

"Babe please." Hunter pleased with his mate as he turned around to grab his hands. I stood still in my place next to his hospital bed, I literally felt like I couldn't move from this fuckers aura alone.

"No darling, your Alpha has kept you from me and I don't appreciate it... I've been on my own for the past 2 years after my father kicked me out and you've been here the whole time. He's kept you from me, therefore disrespecting me and you actually want me to be nice about it?" Roman explained looking deeply into Hunters eyes.

"How have I kept him from you feline?" I ask and his eyes met mine.

"For your own sexual pleasures, for a punching bag, for reasons beyond me, but it has to be something sadistic for him to still be here with you after he reached sexual maturity." Roman explained and I swear my whole brain farted. What in the fuck??

"What the fuck are you talking about?? I haven't kept Hunter from you and I sure haven't used him for anything that you just mentioned and why would I care when he reached sexual maturity??"