Alpha Ryland

Chapter 8

It's about 9pm in the day and I am hungry. We haven't been driving but a handful of hours, so it should be fine to ask him to stop. "Eric." I say to catch his attention. He doesn't respond, so I turn to look at him. He is staring straight ahead, focused as he should be on the road. I remember that he told me his middle name is Eric and prefers me to call him by his first name. What was it again? Reece? Rice?

"Ryland?" I say when I remember. I'm so glad I didn't forget it entirely. He may have never told me his real name again. He glances over at me and then back on the road, "What do you want?"  I cross my feet and reposition myself of the chair. How can people stand such long trips? "Can we stop for food now? I'm so hungry!"

He sighs and nods his head. I celebrate in my head, thinking of all the things that I could eat next. We have to wait for the next turn on the road to find a town with a decent eatery. We decide on pizza for tonight and my stomach is growling in anticipation. I was sent in to order and he waited for me in the car. I brought it back and he drove off into a space that is secluded for us to eat. He doesn't want anyone to see us while we are vulnerable.

When he opens the box, there is writing on the top of the inside of the box in black marker. I look closer to see a person's phone number written with the marker. I roll my eyes and take a slice of pizza. Some person working there must have wanted me to have fun with for a night until they get their mate. Disgusting.

Ryland takes a bite of his slice and stares at the number written on the box. When he swallows after a few more bites, he asks, "Why do people flirt with other people other than their mates?" He isn't from my pack, so he doesn't understand. But, doesn't his pack also have a few people who do the same?

I pat my mouth with a napkin and answer him, "Sometimes people flirt with others to have a little bit of fun with before they find their mates. Some cheat on their mates. Some are delusional and think they can choose who they get to love without thinking about how the other person feels." I'm still very salty about Dylan.

He nods, "Is it awful to let someone love whoever they want?"

I nod my head, "Of course. The Moon Goddess gives us our perfect match, yet people think they can cheat on them. It's even more awful when someone tries to steal someone else's mate and force them to love them."

"What about two unmated people? Is it wrong to let them be together when they want to be?" He asks again, staring at me.

I think about it for a second. "If there is not a person already promised to you, it is fair game. As long as they both agree."
He nods his head and takes another slice of pizza. I don't know why he is asking these particular questions, but they are harmless enough. Maybe he just wants to know how rationally I think. Ryland takes a drink from a water bottle near him and looks back at me, "Who is your mate?"

My heart clenches from his question and I stare at my slice of pizza. I can't tell him the whole story and I really don't want to even mention that I don't have one anymore. It's common knowledge now that I had found mine already, so what am I supposed to do? "I don't want to talk about it. The more I'm away from him, the lonelier I feel." This is not a lie, but it's not telling him the truth. I feel lonely without my true mate beside me, and it's worse knowing that I will never meet him. If I even do meet him, I will never know.

He nods his head in understanding, "I can imagine that it feels empty without him." I look over at him and watch his expressions. He doesn't crack his stoic attitude. I ask him, "Imagine? Don't you feel the same?"

He shakes his head, "No." He looks down at the box, "I'm unmated." My eyes widen as he continues, "I don't even have a mate to feel lonely about."

Ryland is one of those anomalies that don't have mates? No wonder his personality is so cold. He doesn't have a soulmate to complete him. I frown, knowing that I have a soulmate out there somewhere but I can't find him. Though, Ryland doesn't know this bit.