The Cursed Gift | B1 [EDITING]

20 | Protesting Destiny

Ryder's Birthday Afternoon

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Out in the gardens were three unique she-wolves; one at the age of twenty-one, another at the age of nineteen and lastly, the littlest and newest of the pack.

The birthday boy surveyed the landscape, his eyes narrowing in on those three wolves. A future just out of reach, but still possible.

Someone in his pack could still be his destiny, and the hope for that was becoming greater at every moment.

In a leap, Ryder's glorious wolf form emerged and he had began racing over to the gardens and to the last remaining she-wolves of the pack - and hopefully, to his future as well.

His fate awaited him, if only he had the strength and courage to claim it.

If it wasn't one of them then they were going to be down a Luna for a little while, and he would have to come to terms with that if faced with that very choice.

His wolf denied Dhalia as his equal and he had to honour that.

'Please let it be one of them', he thought with a sense of desperation.

With a huff, he sat proudly on all fours in front of them, causing the girls to turn in slight surprise and shock.

They had not been expecting a visit from the Alpha-to-be himself.

"Ryder, our prince," they said in union with their heads bowed for a moment in respect.

The silver eyed and black furred wolf stuck his tongue out and began wildly looking between them, trying to catch their eyes.

"Oh my god," breathed the blonde girl.

"Isn't today his birthday?" The brunette one whispered back in slight panic.

In a moment, Ryder had transformed back and stood before them stark-naked with no sense of a care in the world about it.

He had never been too shy.

The first two girls seemed pleasantly surprised to get a peak but the last one always shielded away for the sheer fact she would never understand their ways.

Nakedness made her uncomfortable at every turn.

"How can we help you?" The first two girls asked in sync as they both locked eyes with Ryder.

With no feelings emerging, doubt began taking over.

But it wasn't until the youngest she-wolf of the odd trio finally looked up and locked eyes as well, that everything instally froze for a moment.

A strange smell entered his nostril that he vaguely decided he liked.

There was a new-found thumping in his chest, determined to take roots in his ribcage, that he also decided could be more than just manageable to live with.

But the literal snap of electricity when her electric blue eyes stared at him made an uncomfortable impression on his heart.

There was just something about the way she looked at him that tore holes in his soul.

The kind that left imprints that bore into prominent scars.

As the air around them stilled, Ryder began to vaguely wonder if she remembered the questions she had asked him the day she first arrived at their pack.

"It's you."

Ryder breathed out with a twinge of surprise, his heart melting with each step that he took towards her.