Red String {EDITING}

Aftermath

"She's fine, Rylan." Elder Finar sighed for what must've been the thousandth time as the Alpha King paced about inside the hospital ward of Stonewall Castle. "Just sit down. She'll wake up soon."

"She wouldn't be in here in the first place, if those two idiots hadn't mistaken her for her mother!" Rylan scowled glaring at the two Elders sitting on the bed next to the one Lyra had been carefully placed on.

"They weren't to know that the Rogue Princess is your mate." Leopold, his father, sighed.

"Don't call her that." Rylan said. "She's the Luna Queen now."

"Calm down, Ry-Ry." Carol said, sitting down on the bed beside Lyra's sleeping form. "She looks an awful lot like her mother, especially now that she's all grown up."

"You remember her?"

"She was attached to Thorn's hip at that orphanage." She said, smiling fondly as she tucked a strand of red hair behind Lyra's ear. "She was cute then... and now she's become your beautiful mate... You're a jammy git, you know that, right?"

"Mum!" He grumbled as his hair was ruffled.

Lyra's eyes flickered open, pulling Rylan's attention away from his mussed hair and onto the redhead lying on the bed. "Rylan." She mumbled, yanking him onto the bed without a second thought, snuggling into him, enjoying the odd sense of comfort and warmth he brought.

"Um..." He mumbled, his cheeks reddening. "Ly, we aren't alone..."

"We can leave you two kids to it, if you want." Leopold winked, and then Rylan was sitting up, cuddling Lyra as he glared daggers at his father.

"We're not at that stage of our relationship yet, idiot." He scowled, gathering Lyra up into his arms.

"But you are sharing a bed, right?" His father queried, grinning as his son squirmed. "I mean... We've only got a double bed set up for you two..."

"Yes." Rylan grumbled. "We do share a bed. Now if you don't mind, I'd quite like to get Lyra out of this dreary room."

"I think Gray is cooking dinner as we speak..." The white-haired Elder with the icy blue eyes spoke. "It'll probably be ready by now."

"Thanks, Zen." Rylan mumbled, carrying Lyra all the way across the castle to the dinner table, ignoring her protests as he sat her down in the seat next to his, his arm snaking around her shoulders. "Oy, Gray! What's on the menu tonight?!" He yelled, watching as a silvery-haired Elder stuck his head around the kitchen cabinets that concealed most of his body. His greyish hair contrasted sharply with his youthful features that pretty much all werewolves had. The oldest of them never tended to look a day over thirty-five, if that. One of the many perks of being immortal werewolves.

"It's salmon and risotto. Nothing fancy." Gray replied, smiling at the pair of them, sterling grey eyes twinkling before he hurried back to the plates he was dishing out. "I just hope the others get here before it goes cold." He said, placing a plate of steaming food at every place on the gigantic oak table.

One by one, all the other Elders and their mates trickled into the room, each of them sitting at their usual places, glancing curiously at Lyra and her mate as they ate.

"So, Ry." Carol nudged his son. "What are you and Lyra going to do for the next few days...? You're here for a few more days after all..."

"I was just going to take Lyra to the beach, and then maybe to dinner at that little restaurant you and my father went to..."

"I advise choosing the steak and chips." His father said, smiling at the thought. "That has to be one of their best dishes... even if it's not as fancy as what you're used to, Ry..."