Stronger as One (#1, Completed)

42. The gentleman🌶️

RILEY

By the time I was done with my story, Lucien was raging, and it was only Anna's soothing touch that stopped him from doing anything rash. That and the message that I got from Rafe that his father was now dead. The news brought me comfort but, at the same time, my heart ached a bit as I knew it couldn't have been easy for Rafe to do what he had done. We pick our friends but not our family and no matter what, Angus Macalister was his father.

"So Rafe is now the Alpha of the Windcrest pack?" I heard Anna ask my brother.

"Yes. He is Angus' legitimate heir and he is also the one who killed him, so no one can dispute Rafe's right to the Alpha position unless he decides to give it up," Lucien explained.

"Hold on a second....you are all missing something important here," Connor exclaimed as he jumped out of his seat. He wrapped his arms around me before he continued, "Our Riley here is the potential next Luna of the Windcrest pack."

My eyes widened at what he had said. "I am what?" I blurted out. "You have this all wrong, Connor. I am no Luna and I am nobody's Luna."

"Technically you are right as Rafe hasn't marked you and claimed you yet, Riley-" my brother spoke.

"Thank you."

"-but if he does so, Connor is right- you would be the Luna of Rafe's pack." Yeap, he had to go on and ruin my day.

I stood up from my chair and dropped off my glass on the coffee table before I looked at them all. "You know what, I am tired so I am going to sleep."

As I walked out of the door, all I could hear was Anna's voice. "Riley, wait, don't go...." I didn't have the energy for any of this though.

When I finally made it to my room, I crashed on the bed and pulled my phone out. I quickly typed up a message but all I could do once I was done was stare at it. I hope you are okay. It felt like the words were staring right back at me. My finger hovered over the Send button multiple times, my heart beating anxiously every time I thought about actually sending Rafe the message. Eventually my mind was made up. Delete.

Instead of texting him, I went to the phone book and I pulled out my parent's landline number, dialling it. The phone kept on ringing but no one was picking up on the other side. I removed my mobile from my ear and was about to hang up when I finally heard my dad's voice.

"Hello?" He sounded out of breath.

"Hi, dad. It's Riley." I paused. "Is everything okay? You sound like you have been running."

My dad never ran. It was not his thing.

"Sweetheart, it's so good to hear your voice. And don't worry- your mother and I were in the garden, planting some new flowers. I had to run to get to the phone on time."

"Oh, sorry."

"Don't be - I am so happy that you called. Are you okay? Is everything going well in Scotland?"

"Yes. Everything is great."

Aside from me having two mates and discovering that the father of one of my mates and an evil cambion were behind my biological parents' death. Oh, and did I mention that said cambion wanted to wipe out all shifters? Apart from that, everything was perfect.....is what I wanted to say.

"Aurelie Boswell, I can tell when you are lying."

Damn it, why did he know me so well. I realised that I also missed hearing Boswell. Up here everyone referred to me by the name of my biological parents.

"Dad, I have to be honest- I need your help."

"Anything, sweetheart."

"Have you ever heard of Markolf?"