Chapter 105
I took the reigns back from Rydere as she got up and disappeared behind a door. Sighing, I fell back against the couch. "I don't know if she should come back."
Morgan chuckled. "I don't think she could have hidden here much longer. The world is a lot smaller than we think. Eventually, it would spread to here. Someone would ask for help or something might happen that would force her out. I would rather avoid the latter, because that girl has the power to completely destroy the world."
He looked at me, the laughter gone from his face. A more serious look, one that showed just how long he had been alive. "Auri has the ability to reset our world. The BloodHunter coven likes to call her a king killer but honestly, that's a fucking joke. She killed the Vampire King already before she even was even mated to that asshat Alpha. Then she killed the fake Alpha King." He paused for a moment, chewing on his words. "I think it would be more appropriate to call her a Goddess of Judgement. Because the only ones who could bring her down...would be the gods themselves and even then...I truly wonder..." His sentence trailed off and a silence filled between us for a few minutes.
Slapping his knees, Morgan got up. "Better head to bed. Mornings get chaotic here, especially with school in session. You're gonna need some level of awareness to walk through it to the coffee pot."
I nodded and stood. Grabbing my duffle that I had dropped behind the couch, I opened up one of the doors down the hall. It was simple but homely room. Large bed, wood furniture, art on the walls that looked like some of the kids had done but it was really well done. There was even an en-suite bath and I quickly took a shower and pulled on some sweats.
'What if...' Rydere started.
'No. Don't even think about it. We got to hold her. That was enough for today.' I bit back at him.
He sighed and said nothing as I laid down on top of the blanket. I was exhausted and I felt myself starting to fall asleep. The tired state both emotionally and mentally made me start to slip back into my mind. It was too late before I realized Rydere had taken full control. He got up and walked to the door. My hands reached out but because I was already falling asleep, he easily pushed me back.
In horror, I watched as he made his way down the hall to Auri's room. A light shown under the door and he grabbed the handle without knocking and quietly opened it. Auri was sitting at a desk in her room, pouring over papers that she fanned out. She was wearing a thin pink tank top, no bra, and some blue sleep shorts. Her head didn't even look up from the papers as Rydere shut the door behind him. He leaned against the door, waiting.
"Does Hector know you're here, Rydere?" There was an edge of amusement in her voice.
"Yes and no. He knows but he's too tired to take control back."
Auri turned in her chair and we got a full view of her breast stretching the fabric of the top and her nipples raising the fabric even more. Rydere swallowed hard. I realized he wasn't here for sex, he wanted to keep it in as much as I had. He just wanted to be near her.
"I have a few more things I need to finish. But you can lay down if you're having trouble sleeping." Auri turned back to her paperwork.
Rydere smirked and walked over to her. He towered over her small figure and looked at the paperwork.
"What is it?"
"Some of it is financial stuff for the house. Some of it is information for the school. Notes for the kids since I document everything in case I need to refer back to it for issues that might arise. I also help out the local pack, the fey king, and I do some business with the witch coven as well. All of that leads up to a pile of paperwork every night." Auri chuckled to herself. "I'm not even Alpha and I deal with all this paperwork."
Rydere nuzzled her neck, kissing her mark that was on full display. "You are still an Alpha. This is your pack. Morgan was right. You just made your own pack."
Sighing, she looked down. "I miss my Beta."
Rydere stopped and brushed her short hair behind her ear. "We are right here, love. Hector may take some time but...I don't think either of us intend on going anywhere anytime soon. I'm your knight, love. I always will be."
Her hand came up and cupped our cheek, brushing her thumb lightly against our skin. "I missed you...so much. It hurts and I'm scared you'll leave me again. But I can't bring myself to push you away."
Sadness washed through the bond and Rydere leaned into her hand. "We can only prove to you that we won't. Prove to you by standing by your side in anything you do. Either staying here, taking care of the kids or going out into the world and taking care of the kids out there."
"I love you, Rydere. Hector too. I know it's not as much as..."
"Hush, love. You loving us is enough. Your love, however the amount, is enough for us. After all these years, after the first time we saw you in those fucking combat boots and leather jacket. All we have wanted was to freely love you." Rydere sighed. "I know Hector chose poorly but he was too upset to stay."
Auri set her pen down and got up. She walked to the bed and sat on the quilt top. "I understand his thoughts. I do. I just thought I had told him enough...let him feel enough that he saved me from having anyone else touch me. All I wanted was to move forward with you..." She pulled her knees up, looking even smaller. It was still a wonder, her looking the same as she did back when she became Astra.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.
Rydere sat next to her on the bed. "I know. I tried to talk to him too. But after trying to protect you for so long...then failing. It was too much. We will be making up for that mistake for the rest of our lives. But we will be happy to if it means we get to be with you."
Putting and arm around her, Rydere let her lean into him. He rubbed her arm, sending the shocks through her and us. Every so often she would shiver and Rydere only pulled her closer.
"When did you get so big? I don't remember you towering over me like this before." Auri chuckled.
“That's on you, love. When we mated, something shifted. Never would I have thought we would have a growth spurt in our 50's but here we are. We also don't shift in front of others."
Auri sat up. "Why? Are you okay?"
Rydere laughed and shook his head. "Our human side grew, bulking up. But our wolf side, love, we are larger than Vale."
Her eyes grew wide. "But that's..."
"Impossible or should be as someone who barely had any Beta blood. But here I am. Being mated to you gave us a power that we have never felt before. Not even as Alpha."
Scooting back and slipping under the quilt, Auri tapped her knees. "They said that by removing Logan as my mate, removing me as Luna Queen, it allowed the full power of Alpha King take over. I guess that, mixed with the fey power and vampirism...it would make my mate just as powerful." "We would need to be to stand by your side."
Patting the side of the bed, Rydere didn't need her to ask twice. He clamored next to her and scooted under the covers. Pulling her in, she nuzzled against us. A contentment flowed between us and Rydere purred.
"Rydere, promise me something."
He hummed.
"Don't let Hector second guess my decision to keep our mark. Keep us as mates.”
His sigh was enormous. "I will try, love. But he is his own worrywart."
I wanted to interject that I wasn't but I receive a glare from him.
"Logan will find out. Other people are going to find out. But no matter what...you are my mate now. You and Hector. Logan might ask for me back but he..."
"He's an asshat?" Rydere offered but Auri slapped our chest.
"No, Rydere. Logan let fear....fear of me dying again dictate who he grew into. Trying to control me and everything around us. Especially after Vale was born." She sighed. "While I get it, the mate bond died, died and that's bound to change anyone but it corrupted him. Not just Vale being Alpha King. He wanted to kept me in a bubble. It
He
wanted to
turned...possessive and cruel.
Twisted him as he already had slowly been turning into when I first came back pregnant with Tyr, after Sif and Freya were born, then Vale. It was too much for him to keep being the Alpha that I loved. The one who had changed before the war and after the war. He learned to love but it got lost."
Tears fell down her cheeks and Rydere pulled her close. Suddenly, I felt myself being thrust forward, Rydere not knowing how best to comfort her. "Auri..."
"There was so much wrong. I tried to force it out of the kids view. Out of the packs view. Helping Vale gave me something but even then, Logan and I would fight that I was doing too much. Even though I had been off the steroids for years. His need to control me and keep me safe just..."
Pulling back slightly, I wiped the tears from her eyes. "I know, Auri. I saw it. I saw it but I didn't say anything. I should have. It wasn't enough for me to just be there and I realized it too late. I'm sorry."
My eyes widened and I was shocked. She chuckled though.
"Why are you surprised? He kicked me out of the pack. Out of my home. Turned Týr into his own twisted Alpha. If any king would need to be
removed..."
"Auri, don't say that. You don't mean it."
Her head rested on my chest, her legs interweaving into mine. "How could you still love someone like me, Hector? How did you not become twisted
like him?"
I sighed and pressed my lips to her
forehead. "Maybe because you weren't mine to begin with. I never had that possessive feeling. I loved you absolutely but you were not mine. Never were mine and I convinced myself never to be mine. How could I twist myself when I already felt like I was being a terrible
xel.ne
Gamma, falling in love with my Alpha's Luna? Was that not twisted
enough?”
She lifted her head and her soft lips found mine. It was light brush, with a small amount of pressure but I reveled in it. "Thank you. For staying by my
side through all of it. You didn't have to and for how many times I pushed you guys away..."
"You never have to thank us, Auri. We should be thanking you. For letting us in and accepting us, even when you found out our feelings. And now... now that we are mated...for wanting us still."
She hummed but didn't say anything. It was only a minute when I realized her breath evened out, signifying she fell asleep. With her in my arms, I fully relaxed into the mattress and pillow. For the first time in years, I feel into a deep revitalizing sleep.