Alpha Ryland

Chapter 28

Ryland's POV
"Maura!" I yell when I see her in the distance. She turns around, her short blonde hair waving slightly when she does, and her beautiful eyes lock onto mine. A smile forms on her face almost immediately and my heart wants to jump out of my chest. I thought I missed her before, but seeing her in the flesh after many days without her, I realize how much she really means to me. This only solidifies my plan. I never thought in a million years that I'd be able to do this, especially with someone like her.

I run to her and we meet in the middle of an almost empty street. I pick her up in my arms and spin around. She giggles into the crook of my neck and my wolf howls in happiness. Hugging her tightly, I take in a deep breath by her head and close my eyes. She stays still in my embrace, hugging me tighter. I bite my lip before I speak, "I could physically feel my heart ripping from my chest."

Maura backs away from me with a sad look on her face, then it changes when we lock eyes. "You're crazy," she laughs with a bright smile on her face.

You make me crazy

I frown and pull her closer to me, our foreheads touching, "Losing you was one of the worst things that had ever happened to me." My first regret was hurting her when I first met her, and my second was leaving her alone in Alpha Zax's home. Just thinking about what they did to her makes me furious. My claws start to come out and I try to recompose myself for her.

She touches my cheek and tilts her head in a cute manner. She knows that her touch calms me down in even my darkest moments. God, I love her. My eyes start to feel heavy and lean down to kiss her. My lips travel down her chin and to her neck. I reach the spot where my instincts tell me I have to mark her at, and my canines come out. I feel her go still in my arms when my teeth touch her skin. This feels so right.

She tightens her arms around me when I apply a little pressure, not breaking her skin yet, ready to mark her forever. My wolf is on edge, ready to claim what is ours. Her shoulders move up in anticipation, but then I'm pushed off her. I recollect myself as I wonder what happened. My wolf is just as confused.

Her eyes harden towards me and backs up just enough that I can't touch her anymore. She's mad at me, I'm sure. I'm having doubts if she loves me back or not from this. I'm sure she does, but why did she reject me like this?

Maura's POV
"What the hell, Ry?" I yell at him. He can't just mark me here in crap city, next to a man eating a chilly dog on the other side of the street and expect me to be happy.

His eyes show he is hurt and defensive. He takes a step to me and I keep my ground, not wanting to step away from my mate again. "Why would you push me away?" He asks me with furrowed, questioning brows.

I frown, "I don't want to be marked here. I told you I want to become yours somewhere special."

His expression turns soft to me again and wraps his arms around me. I return his embrace and put my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "I'm sorry, Love. I just needed to mark you as soon as possible so that I could find you if you're gone again. I can't risk it."

I shake my head lightly, "I can handle myself, Ry. Trust me." I look up to him and give him a small smile, "I am here aren't I?"

He is still frowning at me, but sighs and looks away from me. I put my hand on his cheek again, knowing that he likes that. "I'll let you mark me when we are in a better spot." I take my bag from him and look through it for my phone. He stands still, watching me as I dial something. I call a driver to come get us and take us to my company.

He stays quiet even when the car reaches us a few minutes later and during part of the car ride. I turn to him with agitation, "Why won't you talk to me!?"

He looks at me with sadness in his eyes. My eyes widen and my wolf gets mad at me for making him feel lonely when I rejected his advances. His lips part, trying to get something out but closes it again and sighs through his nose, "let me just mark you." He takes off his seatbelt and moves closer to me, "I need to make sure you're safe. I know you can take care of yourself, but even if you are not getting hurt, it kills me to be apart from you. Please, let me do this."

I listen to his argument for letting him mark me, but my argument still stands. I want to go all the way in one day, and we can't in the car. I want him, but I want him in a reasonable location. I want it to be special. "What if it kills me?" I ask him. My parents obviously didn't account for all situations and didn't test it, or at least from what I know when Airia's mother got affected with this first. What if there is a side effect of being marked by the artificial mate?

His eyes widen and his knuckles turn white from being in hard fists. I quickly hug him and bury my head in the crook of his arm and chest, "let's talk to my parents first and see. When we get the okay, we won't waste a single second, okay?"
His breathing becomes steady and I push him back to his original spot. "Now, buckle your seatbelt in again. I don't want you dying on me before we do this."

He complies and looks stoic. He isn't mad, sad, or happy, just a little in between. I hate saying no to him, but I want what I want. He understands this, but I can feel that it is hurting him nonetheless. I sigh and look out the window as the driver takes us to our destination, that will take a while.

Eventually, we reach the big, white facility. A worker leaving his shift looks at the car and sees me inside. His eyes go black, linking what I can only assume is my parents, and then runs up to the car door. He opens it when the driver unlocks the doors, and I step out. "Maura! We have been looking for you everywhere!" He hugs me tightly and I can hear Ryland growling at him. I quickly escape from the hug in time to see the worker, Paul who is a good friend to my parents, look at Ryland with confusion written all over his face.

Ryland is out of the car and immediately has his arm wrapped around my torso, pulling me to his side. I smile at both of them, "I was just taking a well needed break from things. How's my parents?"

Paul gets snapped out of his thoughts and smiles, "They are heading to the main entrance as we speak. You should start heading there."

I nod my head and pull Ryland to the main doors of the building. He should get his act together before we step in. My mother always warned me to 'tame my mate' before he meets my dad. If my father sees his possessiveness toward me, he will be even more protective of his little girl. I smile at the thought of everyone meeting and finally having a happy family reunion. Everyone I love and cherish will meet together in the same room.