Picture// Riley's Ring
Song// Somewhere Only We Know Keane
Wow, I never thought I would complete a full length book- this is crazy!!
Only one more chapter and maybe an epilogue!
The sounds of my fingers dancing across my keyboard, is the only things filling my office.
Everyone was asleep, including my mate.
I had to sneak out of his warm embrace a few hours ago and it had left me cold and lonely.
I had tried to sleep honestly, but after the events of last week- I had a lot of work to do.
Adding two new packs seemed like a great idea, but there was a lot of paperwork that came with adding the new members.
First, I had to figure out how I was going to govern three-thousands wolves that spanned across three states.
I didn't want to move people out of their homes, so I needed a way to divide the pack and add branches to govern each individual pack.
Rubbing my temples, I sigh in defeat.
Pulling long work hours in my office was not something that was foreign to me.
And although it was the same desk and the same papers littering my floor- I had come back to Blood Moon a new person.
I no longer sat in a dark depression that had clouded over my life.
Fear and doubt were two words I no longer believed in.
"Here I was thinking you would shake your old habits." A mocking voice chuckles, as my Beta walks into my office in his pajamas.
I glance up at him with a sarcastic smile.
Things have been quite hectic around Black Wolf and we hadn't had a chance to really talk.
I had learned that he marked Casper the second we returned to Black Wolf.
"Old habits die hard." I shrug, releasing the stress that was tight within my shoulders.
"Well now that you rule practically a third of the United states packs- I think you deserve a day off." He shakes his head, running a hand through his blonde hair.
I barely raise a brow. There are no days off as an Alpha. The sooner that got through to everyone- the better.
"Kody, I want to ask you something." I stand from my desk.
He raises a brow.
"I need commanders in the Fangs and Blood Moon, they can't govern themselves and I can't ensure they are being ran correctly from here." I start.
He smiles slowly, "Are you asking me to take over one of the packs?"
I roll my eyes, "Don't let it go to your head."
He chuckles lightly, making me narrow my eyes at my cocky best friend.
"Of course I'll do it, Alpha. Your wish is my command." He bows sarcastically.
I nod, "Good, I was thinking about asking Tom to take over as a commander as well."
"I think that's a good idea." He shrugs.
I crack my knuckles, "I never said thank you, for what you and Casper did for me."
He smiles genuinely, "I had help."
Nodding towards the ground, I process the last month of my life.
I got a mate, was captured by narcissistic assholes, killed the man who helped kill my mother, and almost died to save my loved ones.
"Now that's figured out, take a break." He grabs me by my shoulders, towing me from the office.
I don't fight him, feeling very tired and worn out anyway.
"I can't sleep, Kody." I groan.
He pushes me out of the door into a warm embrace that made me sink.
Alex steadies me with a lifted brow.
"I knew I would find you here." Alex smiles gently at me.
He was fully clothed in jeans and a plain t-shirt that hugged his muscles.
"Her constant typing kept me up all night." Kody rolls his eyes, crossing his arms at me.
I flip him off, making Alex chuckle deeply.
"You're being dramatic." I say to him.
He snorts, "You're a workaholic, admit it- you need help."
I sigh, leaning against Alex's body for moral support.
"I'm going to bed, try to not disturb me anymore tonight." Kody huffs sarcastically, pushing past us and towards his room.
I roll my eyes at my Beta, facing my mate who looked humored.
"Shall we go for a walk, my little workaholic?" He questions with a smile.
"Don't call me that." I groan.
————
"Kody was right, maybe I did need a break." I smile at the orange glow of the rising sun.
My mate nods in agreement, hugging me closer to his side.
Alex had brought me to our favorite spot.
It was where we first ate Chinese food and slept under the stars.
It was also where we confirmed that we were, in fact, mates.
The spot was our little secret, hidden from any prying eyes.
"We're a team now, Riley. You don't have to work yourself so hard." Alex says quietly, kissing the top of my head.
I close my eyes at the feeling, sighing in relaxation.
"Riley, I hate to ask this- but how did you kill Martinez?" Alex quirks a brow.
I face my mate with a gulp.
That night was one that was engraved into my memory. The helplessness I felt was enough to torment me for years.
"Riley, talk to me." He lifts my chin with a finger.
I meet his worried caramel eyes, tears pricking my own.
His brows knit at my reaction to his question.
"He came into my cell and-" I bite my lip, looking out towards the sun with watering eyes.
Alex's hand wraps around mine comfortingly.
"He started touching me and I couldn't fight him off." I continue, my voice cracking.
I felt so weak and stupid.
Alex's jaw clenched, his grip tightening.
"Did he hurt you?" He seethes our, his breathing increasing tenfold.
I shake my head, "He didn't have the chance to."
He breaths out a sigh of relief.
"My wolf somehow gained control from the amount of fury we felt, and I killed him." I swallow, leaning my forehead on his warm chest.
He strokes the back of my hair with one hand, the other tightly clinging to mine.
"Riley when I saw you tied to that post, I lost it." He quivers, making me shut my eyes tightly at the memory.
"I never knew I could fear losing something so much, until I almost lost you." He breaths into the crown of my head.
"I never want to feel that kind of terror again." He whispers.
I nod in agreement, lifting my eyes to meet his.
He smiles nervously, bending down on one knee.
My breath catches in my throat at his actions, blood pumping furiously in my ears.
He stares at me with his caramel eyes, a loving look in them that made me want to give him my all.
"When I first met you, I knew that you were mine to love. Even if you did scare me a little." He chuckles at the end, his voice trembling.
I feel wet streaks of tears splash down my cheeks at his words.
"I fell for you so hard, so fast; but I was never scared of that. It felt so natural to love you." Alex takes my hand into his, pulling out a tiny black box from his jeans pocket.
My breath trembles even more, words failing to leave my mouth.
"I love that you care about everyone no matter who they are, I love that you take time to ensure every detail is perfect, I love that you smile at the sunrise and never brush your hair, I love that your nose crinkles when something confuses you, and how you tilt your head when you smile."
A sob chokes out of me at his words, the things I never knew I did until he said them.
"I love you, Riley." He says gently, opening the black box to reveal the most beautiful ring I had ever seen.
It was an oval cut with a thin silver band.
Simple and beautiful.
I clasp a hand over my mouth, feeling like I was living in a dream of some sort.
But it was real. The cool morning breeze against my exposed legs was real. His warm hand covering mine was real. The way his eyes twinkled at me was so real.
I didn't even need to pinch myself.
"Will you do me the honor of being my wife?" He lifts brow with a nervous smile that lit up his face and made his dimples pop.
I nodded quickly, "Of course."
His nervous smile widens even more, as he slide on the ring to fit perfectly on my finger.
I clutch him to my body, planting a kiss on his lips that seal the reality of the situation.
"I love you." I mumble against his lips, making him smile.
"I could never get tired of hearing that." He shakes his head.