DYLAN ||

It's been a week since babe and I somewhat made up and I told him about my hearing problems.

This whole unselfish thing was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Not that I'm having problems thinking about his needs before my own, but because I've been stressing myself out with how to speak and how to act without thinking of myself first.

Like I have to be careful not to start a conversation with I want or I need.

Raiden told me that I should take things slow, so the first day I started with trying to share my apple juice, which has proved to be very difficult! Everyone knows how I feel about my apple juice and watching other people drink it, had my frustration through the roof.

Once I was able to calm down about the apple juice just a little bit, I moved onto making sure I said goodmorning to babe every morning and I asked how he slept as well.

I've been doing more outside the packhouse too, getting my packs needs met because I needed to do that as their Alpha. I've also been eating normally again, which made everyone happy.

Raiden still hasn't come back to my room, but that's ok because truly giving him the space he wanted was apart of my new unselfish behavior.

No matter how much I wanted to see him or touch him or talk to him, I waited until he gave me the ok to do so.

As the days go by, it's becoming easier and easier to alter my mindset.

Yesterday, Raiden went hunting by himself for the first time since being here. I was a nervous wreck, I hated that he was alone and that there were rogues lurking around my borders. I wanted to tell him that he couldn't go, I wanted to keep him in the packhouse and protect him, but I also knew I couldn't shelter him the whole time.

He needed to be able to let Onyx shift and hunt, they needed to be able to enjoy their kill without me hovering over his shoulder. It was just hard and the Alpha in me wanted nothing more than to pull his sexy ass back in the house and lock him in the room.

I didn't, but I wanted to.

Currently I was sitting in my office going over the pack transfers that Gabe approved after Alpha Rhogon sent his dinner invitation, which we still haven't been able to attend because my bond is more important than his dinner right now.

The laws he wants to go over are very important and they affect all of us, but I wouldn't be accepting his dinner invitation until things were right between Raiden and I.

Gabe had approved 27 of the 100 pack transfers, which was a healthy amount that our pack could definitely support.

There were a total of 7 beta blood transfers, 8 gamma blood transfers and 12 omega blood transfers that would be coming into the pack soon.

I sent my dad and uncle Jake to pick up the new pack members that were of Beta blood first, seeing how they were the strongest of the transfers that would be showing up today. Hunter and Roman were picking up the gamma transfers, while Gabe and Avery were picking up the omegas transfers.

A knock on the door pulled my attention away from the paperwork in front of me.

"Come in." I call out, a smile quickly takes over as Raiden walks in.

"Hey pups." He smiles.

"Hey babe." I return his with my own.

"I'm going to go running, Onyx is itching to get out, want to come?"

Seriously? I'm never going to say no to that!

"Of course, just let me get done with going over the pack transfers and I'll be right there."

"I can wait with you if you want."

Fucking yes please!

"Ok, I would love that." I couldn't help the stupid blush that betrayed me.

Raiden walked further into my office and took a seat in front of the desk. Him being this close to me and concentrating on the work that needed to be done, proved to be very difficult.

Especially with his eyes glaring into my damn soul right now. I hate how freaking sexy this man is, like seriously it should be illegal to be that good looking.

He was wearing his hair down today, that beautiful, shiny jet black hair flowed splendidly past his shoulders, his stubble that hugged his jaw was always perfectly trimmed and his eyes.... ugh those eyes, they just do something to me.

I was so jealous of how toned his arms and chest was, like perfectly toned. The right amount of muscle to be seen as strong and fit, yet not too much to make someone think he was a man who loved working out more eating, something he definitely loves to do by the way. The man could eat you out of house and home.

Internally rolling my eyes at myself for eye fucking my mate again, I turn all of my attention, well majority of my attention back to the transfers.

I was able to focus enough to approve 3 more transfers, all omega blood. Oddly enough, majority of the transfers were coming from the same pack.

The shadow pack, I haven't heard of it before, but the transfers were approved by King Kano so I had no reason to be worried about them.

"Ok, all done babe." I smiled at my mate after closing the files and placing them into one of my desk drawers.

"Where did you want to run?" I ask, getting up and heading towards the door.

"I was thinking we could run to the waterfall."

There were mixed emotions I felt about the Stone Waterfall now. It used to be a place where I went to relax and getaway, Raiden said it was one of his favorite places to go during the day when he was living in the forest, but the painful memory of my idiotic decision to capture him, tainted that place for both of us now.

"Are you sure?" I frown.

"Yes I'm sure pups, maybe we can make some new memories this time."

This man is too perfect for words.

• • •

Babe and I made our way outside the packhouse, I ducked behind a tree to strip my clothes and shift, allowing Maddox to take control. I know we've already seen each other naked and it's not a big deal in shifter communities, but I was still super shy about seeing another man completely naked.

I've gotten to the point to where I could look at Raiden in just his briefs and not have a panic attack, so I wasn't willing to push it just yet and he understood that. I was even happier when my mate told me that he didn't want me to see him naked again until our first time together.

That's terrifying to think about...

Once the shift was complete, Onyx and Maddox both stretched their legs and shook out their fur before they nuzzled into each other. Onyx took no time before grooming us, every lick of his rough tongue on our natural form felt weird, well at least to me, Maddox clearly loved it.

I don't know when they made up or what they've been talking about, but they seem to be on the right track, much like myself and Raiden.

Feeling the earth beneath our paws felt amazing, there's nothing like being in your natural form, feeling the wind slice through our fur, the sounds of the forest and the smell of the air, everything was beyond euphoric.

Onyx led the way to the waterfall with Maddox staying close to his mate. Seeing their forms side by side like this, I noticed just how much bigger Onyx and Raiden were compared to us. I'm the largest wolf in the pack, but with my mate right now, we look like a runt.

As soon as we got to the waterfall, Onyx walked towards the tree he was perched on that first day we laid eyes on him.

I chuckle at the memory of thinking he was a woman, something that I no longer craved. Raiden was a man and he was all mine, I couldn't wait until the moment that I fully conquered my homosexual panic and gave myself to him in the most intimate of ways or he gave himself to me.

I wasn't sure which one I preferred just yet.

Watching Onyx climb the tree he chose with such grace, I felt kind of jealous that Maddox and I were stuck on the ground. My crazy wolf actually tried to follow him up the tree, but quickly realized wolves weren't made for climbing.

"Maddox, can we talk?" I ask as he lays down at the base of the tree that Onyx was perched on.

"About what Dylan?"

"You and Onyx."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because we agreed not to talk about our relationship with you or Raiden... this is our bond so please don't interfere and we won't interfere in yours anymore."

I can respect that, it's no secret that Onyx and Maddox were the reasons that my bond went south. I know he told his mate the truth, but I wouldn't have told Raiden anything that Maddox thought about the first day we met them and the bastard had a lot of conflicting thoughts.

"Please don't say anything Dylan, anything negative I thought or felt before was a mistake."

"Clearly my thoughts were a mistake too, but that didn't stop you from ratting me out to Onyx, who of course ratted me out to Raiden."

"I apologize for that Dylan, you're my human and you may be an idiot, but you're my idiot."

"Thanks Maddox, right back at ya."

"I promise not to get involved with you and Raiden again."

"And I promise not to get involved with you and Onyx."

"Th-"

Maddox growled and rolled over on his back as we were caught off guard by Onyx pouncing on us. He growled again as he tucked his legs closer towards his body when Onyx leaned down and started licking the side of his face, probably trying to apologize for scaring us.

My lovestruck wolf was so in love with his mates affection, he forgot how mad he was a second ago and he didn't realize that we were still laying on our backs, belly up.

The most submissive position that no Alpha should ever take.

"Maddox! You're belly up!" I growled through the link, but all he did was whine as Onyx nipped at his neck.

Arousal flooded our link, shoving its way through my body as well as Maddox. It was so strong, I was starting to get sick to my stomach.

"NO, NO HELL NO! Maddox get up now! You will not be getting your jollies off with me in partial control."

"I can always block you out."

"Maddox!" I warned and he whined again when Onyx laid majority of his weight down on us.

"Oh my Goddess, Maddox if you do this right now, I will-"

"ALPHA! GET BACK TO THE PACKHOUSE NOW!" Gabe's voice boomed through the link, completely cutting off my conversation with Maddox, who clearly heard the message as well because he was forcing Onyx off his body.

I didn't even know Gabe had returned with the new Omega transfers.

"What is it Gabe?!"

"I don't know what this is, but there's a message Alpha."

"For who?"

"For you."

Maddox got to his feet just as quick as the panic that coursed through my body and started running back towards the packhouse. Onyx stayed by our side as we led the way.

Slowing down once the packhouse was in view, Maddox shifted, giving me back control as did Onyx, giving Raiden control.

I didn't even care that we were naked right now, something was going on and I needed to figure out what. Grabbing my clothes, I get dressed as fast as I could before running the rest of the way to the packhouse, which was maybe 10-15 feet.

I stopped dead in my tracks when I seen what laid before the steps of my packhouse.

A dead wolf, it's head completely gone and it reeked of rogue. This explains why I felt sick a few minutes ago, someone crossed my borders and came onto my pack lands.

I looked around to see Avery standing in front of the omega transfers, trying to calm everyone down.

"Avery, get the omega transfers inside the packhouse and lock the door."

"Yes Alpha." He whispered as he guided everyone inside.

Waiting until all 12 members were inside, I addressed my questions to my Beta.

"Gabe, when did this happen?" I ask, never taking my eyes off the decapitated rogue on my doorstep.

"We got back maybe 10 minutes ago Alpha, I was bringing the new Omega transfers like you instructed, when I seen the rogue..." He pauses before handing me a piece of paper. "And this, it was attached to the rogues body."

I grabbed it and read the haunting words, clearly meant for me.

YOUR ALPHA TOOK EVERYTHING FROM ME, NOW IM GOING TO RETURN THE FAVOR

I swallow nervously as I reread the words on the note over and over, desperately trying to figure out who I would have pissed off so much that they would deliver a message like this.

Who did I take everything from??

And why were the rogues still attacking my pack??

______________________________